Shattered Space: Second Stage
by The Emerald's Edge
Summary: Kira had Jay have gone their separate ways. Kira had returned home while Jay stayed with Meia and the Nirvana. Continuing their journey the crew must face the harvest has they become more fierce and more aggressive than ever. The war is just beginning.
1. New Face

Meia, Jura, Dita, and Hibiki are locked in a battle with the harvest fleet. Vandread Dita flew head on at the enemy with Hibiki roaring from the pilot's seat. A series of red laser flashes can be seen from the distance being fired towards them and the Nirvana. "There's no way these guys are gonna beat me. They're going to get what's coming to them," Hibiki said after he maneuvered the Vandread through the enemy lasers. Immediately Dita gasped at something approaching them, it was barely visible through the bright red flashes.

"What is that?" Jura asked. Suddenly a massive beam of red light fired towards them tearing through the Vandread's left arm, ripping it off. The two pilots screamed in pain as they felt the damage dealt to their machine. Hibiki moves his hand from his shoulder and becomes paralyzed at the sight of his own blood. Looking up from the cockpit he sees the same red flash shoot down Meia, Jura screams in fear before she too was shot down.

Staring at the debris that was once his two allies Hibiki growled, "Damn you" as he attempted to fire the remaining shoulder cannon of the Vandread. Before the cannon could fire another swarm of red lasers flew past them, one destroyed the shoulder cannon while the rest sped towards the Nirvana. As explosions chained throughout the Nirvana Hibiki begged for it all to stop.

Shooting up into a sitting position the young Tarak-pilot screamed as he awoke from his dream. Panting for breath he placed his hand on his left shoulder he could feel some small pain as if he had been hit recently.

In the hanger Hibiki stared up at the Vanguard before he mumbled to himself "That light". Recalling the images of his dream where his allies were shot down before the Nirvana itself was destroyed Hibiki asked "What the heck was it?"

"Mr. Alien" Dita's voice said. Looking behind him Hibiki saw Dita, Jura and Meia standing in the hanger doorway still in their night gowns. "What do you want? Why are you three here so early?" he asked trying to act like nothing was happening.

The female pilots lowered their heads before Meia spoke "It was trying to communicate with us. Sending us a message at least that's how it felt to me". Surprised Hibiki said, "Are you saying you saw the same thing I did". Dita quickly turned to Hibiki "Mr. Alien are you saying you saw it to?"

Jura looked away as she placed her hand over the side of her face "How could all of us have the same dream at the same time its really weird". Meia looked at Jura from the corner of her eyes before returning her attention to Hibiki "The four of us have something really important in common".

Meia began recalling the events of when they were all engulfed by the paksis along with their ships "The changes to the Dreads and the Vanguard are proof of that". "Its still really weird that…" Jura stopped as a headache began swarming through her skull. "Jura" Dita gasped with concern. Jura turned and began to walk away "I'm sorry I'm going back to bed"

Down in engineering one of the engineers was having trouble stabilizing the paksis "This isn't good outputs decreasing". Running over to the console Parfet began checking the systems "When did this all happen?" she asked. "About ten minutes ago" the engineer replied. "Well this was a proto-type so it's only natural for it to have bugs in its system" Jay said walking over to the console standing between the two engineers. "You're a real trouble-maker you know that" Parfet yelled at the crystal through the window. Jay threw his arms forward "Yea piss it off even more, that's intelligent" he said sarcastically before he left.

Back in the halls outside the crew quarters Hibiki was still set on that dream he shared with the others unaware that Dita had already called him twice. "Mr. Alien" she said running around the corner and over to him. "What do you want now? Why are you following me?" he asked. "Well I was wondering when you were going to come to my room you know for a visit, like you promised remember?" she said twirling her fingers inside the long sleeves of her night gown.

Blushing Hibiki said "Dita look what's going on, do you really think I'd wanna come to your room right now". Tilting her head Dita stared at him blankly "Then when? Tomorrow? The day after?" Becoming uncomfortable Hibiki turned away and said, "Well sometime real soon ok?" as he began walking away. Watching from the fork in the hall Meia, Jay and the recently awakened Kira were watching them with minor amusement.

"And so another day begins" Paiway said before stepping out form the corner right next to them. Surprised Jay looked at Kira and said in a whining tone, "I swear to god she's like Batman, she…she just appears out of nowhere". Holding her frog puppet up Paiway donned a gruff tone before she said, "I can't believe Dita would chase a man what a weirdo". Jumping in between them Pryoro cut her off "Actually that is normal human behavior" he said before hiccuping.

Angered Paiway pushed him out of the way "How rude, interrupting a lady like that. Hey wait a second you just hiccuped, but you can't hiccup," she said with confusion. Watching the small robot hiccup again Jay began feeling a little sick himself "They've all gone mad" he said in a weak whiny tone before he turned to walk away.

Inside the conference room Mango, BC and Gascogne are having a meeting.

BC stared at the monitor before speaking, "We are approximately 90 days from Mejere, in regards to Operation Harvest where Earth plans to harness body parts as a source for new organs, our home world and Tarak should realize the threat we're facing." Mango asked sternly, "Understood but what happened to the message pods we sent out earlier?" BC answered, "They should've arrived at the two planets by now." Gascogne added, "It looks like we're getting the cold shoulder."

The old pirate leader assured, "I'm sure Tarak and Mejere will not ignore the message pods we sent them this time, not after they discover that Earth plans to take our reproductive organs." That's when Parfet appears on the monitor "Parfet reporting."

Magno wondered, "Anything wrong?" The engineer nodded her head, "I'm afraid so. The peksis has started acting up again, we don't know the cause of it though." The captain sighed, "Not this again." BC speculated, "It must be residual reactions from when the male and female ship fused together." The Reg leader added, "It feels the same way we do. Men and women are so different, we may not be able to understand one another."

At the men's quarters, Bart is eating some pills that Tarak makes to ensure that the inhabitants eat enough to get them through hard labor work. Bart said, "Women are weird. At first I believed that they eat a man's internal organs. What's that book your reading any good?" Duelo smiled as he closed the covers around his thumb and held it up for Bart to see "I found it in the storage room of the pioneer ship."

He reopens the book and begins reading a small passage to Bart "The baby's life starts when the seed, which is the father's sperm, is accepted by the female egg called an ovum. The two of them join together to form a zygote, which in turn develops into a fetus." Bewildered Bart stared at the doctor "You're really into that stuff?"

Duelo merely smirked "I find it fascinating" Hibiki comes in and tiredly collapses onto his bed the two wonder what made him so exhausted. "Dammit" they heard Jay yell from down the hall. Looking at the wall of the cell as if they were seeing through them they could only wonder what he was doing this time. Hearing Kira's laughter they quickly came to the conclusion that they were playing Mahjong again. "Sorry Jay final scores say I win again" Kira laughed. "I'm not letting this one go we're playing again," Jay growled as the Mahjong tiles clattered on the floor.

Returning to they're own conversation Duelo said, "You promised? You promised that you would go to Dita's room?" Hibiki nodded, "Yeah, it just came up at the heat of the moment you know?" Bart suggested, "So what's the big deal? Just go ahead and see her." The young Tarak cried, "You go and see her!" The helmsman shook his head, "Uh-ah, you were the one who made the promise, pal!"

Hibiki grunted, "You got to be kidding! Going to a woman's room? A real man would never do that!" Duelo corrected, "What real men do is keep their promises, your other self should've realized that." The young pilot struggled to find his words, "It's not that I want to break the promise but…" Hibiki snapped while keeping a blush on his face, "Look! If I go in there, what are we going to do when I'm in there? I mean what are we going to talk about?"

Bart and Duelo said in unison, "Good point." Jay's voice called out from the next cell "Pick something in the room and start a conversation on it. Its called improvising you idiot". Hibiki stuck his head out of the doorway and yelled, "Mind your own business Dammit". "When your talking loud enough for me to hear it becomes my business" Jay called back before he took two tiles from the Mahjong board. "Take me and Meia for example, we love spending time with each other and have no problem engaging in conversation…"

Kira cut him off by saying "I wouldn't say conversation since all you do is stare at her like a sweet-toothed diabetic in a candy store". Jay blushed before he yelled "Shut up and make a move already". Annoyed by his fellow crew members Hibiki left the prison block while Duelo closed the baby book and headed for the infirmary. Checking Ezra's ultrasound Duelo came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be too long before the baby was born.

Entering the infirmary Jura was holding her head, her face was flushed and beads of sweat covered her forehead "Doctor can I have some medicine for my headache?" Curious Duelo asked, "When did it start". "It all started with that dream," Jura said still holding her head. "Dream? Come to think of it Hibiki did mention something about a dream he shared with you three" Duelo said placing his hand around his chin.

Slipping by Jura Jay entered the infirmary with a defeated look on his face "I lost again" he muttered as he fell onto the bed across from Ezra. Feeling another throbbing in her head Jura yelled "My head is killing me can I please have some medicine". Realizing that Ezra was in the room she quickly apologized before sitting on the bed next to Jay. Looking at the Ezra's ultrasound Jura smiled "Your baby has grown".

Jay made eye contact with Ezra before he stood up and smiled "I pray for a safe delivery. Now if you will all excuse me its time for my weekly target practice," he said before he left for the firing range. Meeting Barnette and Kira along the way Jay walked in between them, looking back and forth between the two. Nervous by his recent behavior Barnette asked, "Are you feeling all right Jay?" Waving his hand to the side Jay replied, "Not sure I've been feeling extremely tired, but unusually energetic today. Its makes no sense to me what so ever, maybe I'm finally losing my mind who knows"

Entering the firing range Kira leaned against the wall as Barnette and Jay stood on the circular platforms and readied their guns, Barnette using her 92 series Beretta and Jay using his M16 assault rifle. Before they began Jura walked in and sat a few yards from Kira watching the two gunners "Light it up" Jay yelled as he activated full-auto targets. _'Just two shots to each. Double tap the targets'_ he thought as he began firing. After a emptying his clip Jay quickly reloaded and shot down the last of his targets before it disappeared behind the wall.

Shouldering his rifle he turned around to watch Barnette finish her rounds. Out of the blue Jura said, "You know Barnette. I wanna have a baby". Shocked by the sudden statement Barnette missed her final target and turned her head "What? And you want me to be the Ohmah?" she asked in surprise. "No I want to have a baby with one of the men".

Jay quickly glanced at Jura _'Walk away. Walk away now'_ he thought before he turned to leave. Seeing him walking away Jura cried "Jay will you..." Turning around Jay's face was red he sternly said "No". "Oh come on we'd be famous, the first man and woman couple in Mejere history" Jura argued her expression changing to a sappy cheery one. _'Dammit Masterson just walk away already'_ Jay mentally yelled to himself "Sorry Jura, but I'm spoken for. So to speak anyway" Jay said hiding his embarrassment. Before Jura could argue further the ship's alarm went off. "Freedom" Jay yelled as he bolted form the firing range sprinting towards the hanger.

On the bridge Ezra spotted something on the radar "I've confirmed a life signal captain". BC asked, "Do you think that pod could've escaped from the Harvest?" The captain thoughtfully groaned before she gave her orders "All dreads retrieve that pod don't fight unless you have to". A monitor appeared over the bridge showing Jay "Jay here I'm in position taking off now".

Out is space Jay activates the Wyvernn's long-range radar while he waits for the rest of the fighters to join him. "Picture clear Miss Gasco if you would" Jay said flying alongside Gascogne's delivery ship. Gascogne growled through her teeth after connecting to the pod "Its Gascogne". Before Jay could respond the radar began beeping indicating the presence of enemies "Perfect" Jay said sarcastically as he waited for Kira to join him in formation.

As the cube-types began attacking Jay realized something "Hey these guys are different this round. They're faster than the others we've encountered I think they're finally learning something". In the heat of the battle one of the cube-types managed to shake the pod loose from Gascogne, two other cube-types latched onto it and began retreating. Belvedere said, "The enemy is retreating with the pod!"

BC cried, "What? You mean they are not after us?" Magno smirked, "This is an unexpected turn of events. If that pod is so important to Earth, that they are willing to ignore us then by all means we have to get it back!" Hibiki races toward the pair shouting that prize belongs to the crew, they found it first. Two cube-types break off from the group carrying the pod and attack the young Tarak. Meia destroys them and said, "Hibiki, I think we should combine now! We'll get them that way!" As the two craft near a beam comes out of nowhere and hits between them, preventing any combination.

Hibiki gasped, "What's that red light?" "The pod! You have to retrieve the pod and return to the Nirvana!" Meia ordered as her Dread's systems seem to have frozen up. She attempts to reboot them. Racing towards the pod Jay continues to evade the enemy fire, looking to his left he calls over to Kira "Kira let's show our guests the real power of the Gelinkos Air Force". "Roger" Kira said flying towards Jay's Wyvernn.

The two Wyvernns were enveloped in a divine light, briefly illuminating the battle zone the light disappeared reveal ArchAngel. "Let's do this beginning multiple targeting systems. Acquiring targets" Kira said as she took her side of the controls. "Time to up the ante, let's see if they call it" Jay yelled as he pushed the controls forward flying head on towards the harvesters with the pod. Activating the monitors Jay connected to Jura and Hibiki "Jura, Kid get ready once we clear the way secure the pod".

"All targets locked" Kira said. Jay nodded as he slowed the ArchAngel to a complete stop "Do it" he said. "Here comes the storm," Kira cried as she flipped the switch above her console. ArchAngel's divine wings extended outward and glowed with a heavenly light, "Fire" the two pilots said in unison. ArchAngel's wings folded forward before they were thrown back releasing a majestic rain of white lasers, which destroyed every cube-type in the immediate area.

Vandread Jura flew ahead of them and secured the pod within it's shield "Ta-Da am I good or what" Jura said. Hibiki looked at the blonde pilot "Yea well better late than never I'd say". Jura scooted her seat over to Hibiki and gazed into his eyes from the corner of her own "Listen Hibiki" she began. Hibiki nervously replied "Yea? What? What do you want?" Making her seductive tone even more so the blonde pilot said, "I want to have a baby. Will you give me what I need?"

Embarrassed Hibiki yelled "We're in the middle of a battler right now we don't have time to discuss something like that" his face turned beet red as sweat drops began pouring down his face. Jura merely laughed at his outburst. Meia's screen appeared inside the cockpit of the Vandread "Jura, Hibiki get back to the Nirvana now. The enemy appears to be in observation mode, meanwhile we'll…" She spots a new Harvest unit coming out of the darkness of space. It resembles a sting ray it fired a beam of red energy and it hits Vandread Jura with so much force that it causes the red crab-shaped machine to defuse. The Nirvana crew is surprised by this, looks like planet Earth has a new toy.

The cube-types regain the pod once again and begin to retreat with the Vanguard hot on their tail. Two more disengage from the pair and attack Hibiki this time around it was Dita that came to his rescue. The two combine to form Vandread Dita, the cube-types were easily destroyed and the pod is in the firm grasp of the Vandread. Being careful not to harm the pod the Vandread quickly retreated back to the Nirvana as ArchAngel provided cover.

"Good job now get back to the ship we'll provide cover" Kira said after Jay shot down several cube-types. "Head's up the new guy is coming back around," Jay cried as the stingray shaped harvester circled around and began heading for the Vandread. Before Jay could activate his side of the weapon systems the stingray fired a laser of its own scoring a direct hit on the Vandread's right arm.

Meia asked, "Hibiki! Dita! Are you alright?" Hibiki grunted, "What was that?" Dita and Hibiki looked at the control sphere for the hit arm and noticed that it was flashing. The right arm started to deteriorate, turning from its normal blue to a rusty red color. Hibiki realized it was the same as his dream, what if that dream was going to come true?

Bart screamed as the Nirvana got hit, "It never hurt like this before! I don't know how much more I can withstand! Hey, engineering what the hell is going on down there?" Parfet answered, "That's what I'd like to know!"

Vandread Dita attempts to fire one of the shoulder cannons it powers up but then swiftly goes dead. Hibiki growled, "What's going on here? Damn it!" Dita added, "It's just like before!" The sting ray-like Harvest vessel wraps a pair of tentacles around Vandread Dita and pulls it toward its mouth in preparation to harvest its pilots. "Hang on we're coming" Jay yelled as he sliced his way through the continuous wave of cube-types that kept blocking his path.

As the two machines are drawn closer Hibiki said, "Dreams may be real when you're asleep but I'm not sleeping and the thing is that I'll never let you tin cans win! Never!" Vandread Dita breaks free from its restraints and turns to fire at the enemy joined by ArchAngel "Burn" Jay yelled as ArchAngel and Vandread Dita fired their beams at the harvester destroying it.

After docking with the Nirvana Meia exhaled, "We may have gotten reckless but we got the job done." Climbing down from his Wyvernn Jay looked over to Meia and smiled "Between you and me I'm actually looking forward to the next encounter" Meia scoffed as she smiled at his comment realizing that Jay will always find entertainment in battle. Later that day Parfet struggles to open the pod. A cold mist comes out as the pod opens, when the mist cleared the crew see its inhabitant. It was a girl most likely in her early teens with deep blue hair tied into a ponytail, wore a yellow outfit and had earrings.

Hibiki hops up and down to try and get a look, but due to his short height, he shoves his way through the rest of crew eventually he lost his footing and his face landed in the pod. He immediately pulls his face out of it before the girl opens her eyes. They were crimson red and then all of a sudden one of her earrings glows and out comes a yellow hologram of a shapeless creature.

Pryoro said, "Did you see that?" Hibiki wondered, "What is that?" The girl stares and said, "It's you. You saved me. Thank you, my lord prince!" She starts hugging him. Barnette started, "Lord…" She growled in slight annoyance. Jura finished, "Prince?" This hugging sparked jealously in Dita and Jura. Jay and Meia exchanged looks of confusion at what had just happened, but Jay quickly shrugged it off before he stepped forward to help the young girl out of the pod.

Paiway giggled in the back, "This is definitely getting interesting. A red circle check".


	2. New Life

Jay was sitting on one of the infirmary beds along with Kira while Duelo was checking the logs of the life pod they secured the previous day "According to the pods cyber logs her name is Misty Cornwell and she is 14 years of age" Duelo said reading over the data. Paiway raises her frog puppet and speaks in a gruff voice "14 plus the 63 years she spent in cold sleep which would make her 77 ribbit". Duelo looked up and smirked "I stand corrected".

Continuing to flip the emerald coin through his fingers Jay looked at the logs on the screen next to him "Why would the harvest go through so much trouble just to get a single person in cold sleep is what I want to know". Waiting until Jay flipped the coin up Kira snatched it from the air "Does it really matter now? If it means that much to them they'll come back for it anyway". Jay grinned from the corner of his mouth "True. And if that's the case I welcome the challenge" Quickly snatching the coin back from Kira, Jay said "Besides if they stay as predictable as you I'll have no problem taking them out".

Before Kira could respond the sleeping Misty let out a low moan and slowly opened her crimson eyes. With most of the crew in the infirmary watching her Misty felt a little nervous, before anyone could say anything her left earring glowed in a yellow light and projected the image of a shapeless yellow creature "Did you see that" Pryoro shrieked. The shapeless creature made several angry sounds before looking back to its owner "Its okay Q-Chan I'll be just fine" she said sitting up and immediately wrapping her arms around her shoulders shuddering. "Its residual effects from the cold sleep you should try and get some rest" Duelo said calmly while placing a blanket over her shoulders.

Looking up at the young doctor the blue-haired girl cheerfully said "Wow you're a really handsome guy". Surprised Duelo blankly stared at her for a brief moment. Bart cried, "Hey, I heard you come from a place where men and women live together. Is that true?" Misty replied, "That's the dumbest question anyone has asked me. Are you a moron?" The helmsman looked away in shame. Jay began laughing at Bart's humiliation, Misty as well as the rest of the crew looked over to Jay who quickly regained his calm disposition "Greeting Misty Cornwell I am Jay Masterson" he said saluting her.

Misty blinked at him before her crimson eyes widened "Wow you're really cute to". Jay smirked before he looked over to Meia who was standing at the doorway "Well thank you Misty, however I'm needed elsewhere so I'll see ya around" he said before leaving the infirmary. After Jay left the room Hibiki sighed before muttering "I don't know who's weirder him or Dita". Looking over to Hibiki Misty quickly turned to Duelo and asked "Hey who is that?" Duelo turned his head looking at the raven-haired teen "That's Hibiki".

"Hibiki what an adorable name" Misty exclaimed cheerfully, the shapeless Q-Chan physically reacting in response to its master's emotions. Confused and nervous by the comment Hibiki looked at Misty "I always knew I would meet someone one day and it would love at first sight. See the red string of fate you know" Misty said as Q-Chan formed into a string shape. Everyone in the room looked at the nervous Hibiki as he stood there before he yelled "No I don't know what your talking about". Misty smiled in response "Wow your so naive, but that makes you even cuter. Well just don't stand there come on over here next to me" she said with a smitten smile.

Immediately jumping in front of Hibiki, Dita told Misty that red is the color of bad aliens, obviously referring to the Harvesters. The two young girls were now glaring at each other. Looking at the young doctor next to her Misty asked, "Hey, is that girl his girlfriend?" Duelo wondered, "Girlfriend? I'm not familiar with that term? What does that mean?" Misty raised an eyebrow in response, "Seriously? You don't know? Q-Chan, these people are weird!" Stepping forward Jura said, "Well, it works both ways and from our perspective you're very strange yourself." Disappointed Misty muttered to herself "What kind of place have I ended up in". Kira walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder "With the exception of Jay and myself everyone on this ship come from worlds where men and women are segregated from one another, so they're not too familiar with terms like boyfriend and girlfriend".

In the cafeteria Dita was sitting at a table complaining about Misty, "Here you go" Ezra says happily sliding a cup of tea to her. Dita said, "Who does she think she is? She comes barging in and hugs Mr. Alien!" Ezra asked, "If you suddenly woke up in an unfamiliar place, would you react the same way?" Dita looked at Ezra with concern and asked "If she's confused then how come the first thing she did was hug Mr. Alien? And what's even worse is he wasn't mad about the way he always is with me. Ezra gave a gentle smile before she looked up to the stars above "How odd I guess that would be pretty shocking".

Back in the infirmary Kira was helping Duelo and Paiway keep an eye on Misty while she slept, the doors slid open and Magno and BC entered the room "Duelo how's our guest doing?" the captain asked. Looking over to the captain Duelo replied "Still sleeping captain. She'll recover, but she isn't completely stabilized yet. Right now rest is the best medicine". BC pulled her hand from behind her back revealing the diamond shaped tube that was inside the pod with Misty "Then we have no choice, we'll have to decode this message ourselves".

Back in the cafeteria Dita was poking a fork at a piece of cake resting her head against her hand "I wish I hadn't made that promise Ezra, its boring just to sit around and wait. I liked it a lot more when I was chasing after him". Ezra smiled at her, but before she could speak an overwhelming pain overcame her "Ezra what is it?" Dita gasped. "The..the baby" Ezra said. "The baby? You mean its time?" Dita asked. Ezra nodded her head causing Dita to panic.

In reg central Hibiki was complaining about Misty calling him cute while Jay and Gascogne were playing a hand of poker. "What are you muttering about now? Looks to me like your smirking" Gascogne said walking over to him. "What? what are you talking about? I'm not smirking" Hibiki yelled. Gascogne let out a short sigh "So why don't you hurry up and keep that promise?" she asked. Embarrassed Hibiki barked "That's my business Dammit. Women why do you all have to be so annoying". After Hibiki stormed out of the room Jay sighed as he placed the cards back in the deck "I'm gonna kill him" he said following after him.

Catching up to Hibiki Jay overheard him saying "She looks like she's in a lot of pain doc. I'll get her over there right away can you help her?". Picking up the hello baby book Duelo said "Hibiki can you give me a detailed description of Ezra's condition, what kind of pain is she in".

BC places the capsule into a holder and began typing then waited. She said, "Well, Pryoro?" The white robot read the message, "Access denied. The message is encrypted. In order to access it, we need to know the password! Sorry, commander." Paiway appeared on a monitor and said, "Newsflash! Ezra's baby is going to be born." Suddenly Pryoro begins to act funny then he goes static along with rest of the Nirvana's power grid. The screen in front of BC turned on showing Belvedere from the bridge "The malfunction is spreading throughout the ship we'll have 100 percent contamination in one minute". '_Was there something hiding in the capsule?'_ BC wondered.

In the elevator Hibiki, Dita and Jay were helping Ezra to stay calm as they headed to the infirmary. Suddenly the elevator stopped moving "What is it?" Dita asked as the lights went out. "What's going on? Someone talk to me" Jay yelled beginning to worry. "Calm down Jay, describe Ezra's condition to me" Duelo said opening the baby book and flipping through the pages. "That's a waste of time she's sweating and going through intervals of pain, we can't wait here for much longer" Jay yelled punching the wall of the elevator. Seeing Duelo flip through the pages of the baby book Magno yelled "Listen up if the elevator isn't fixed soon Ezra will have to give birth right there".

"Dammit" Jay yelled as Dita and Hibiki began to panic. "That's ridiculous" Duelo said. Magno looked at the doctor with grim eyes "Without power we have no choice I'm afraid that baby won't wait". "Dammit tell me what to do her contractions are down to a few seconds now" Jay yelled tapping his finger against the wall. Before Deulo could respond the Nirvana shook violently "Perfect timing" Hibiki said immediately knowing what happened. "Dammit I will not allow this" Jay yelled balancing himself on the railing of the elevator and pushing the top cover open. "Take care of her I'll get rid of the enemy" he said grabbing the edge of the opening and climbing out. "Hey what am I supposed to do?" Hibiki yelled. Looking down at him Jay smiled "Just listen to Magno and Duelo". Looking over to Dita he said "Be strong you can do this".

Dita smiled and nodded before Jay began climbing the his way up the elevator shaft activating his communicator he contacted Kira "Kira I'm stuck in the elevator shaft door 3 on deck 2 pry this door open so I can get out". "I'm on my way just hang in there" Kira responded before the shipped was rocked again. Wrapping his elbow around a pole Jay looked back down at the elevator _'Dammit these bastards better pray they're dead by the time I get out there'_ Jay mentally yelled as he continued climbing up to the door above him. Finally reaching the door he grabbed Kira's hand and she pulled him up "Let's go" he said as he began running for the hanger.

Jumping into their ships and powering up Jay said "Wyvernns launching". Launching into battle the two Wyvernns immediately combined to form the ArchAngel "Burn" Jay yelled as he fired ArchAngel's beam laser sweeping it across the line of cube-types ahead of them "Dread teams we'll take care of the bulk you mop up the stragglers" Jay ordered as he readied the RA-13 cannon. "Launch" he yelled firing the M4 fragmentation missile. After the missile detonated it spread magnetic shrapnel across the battlefield which quickly became attracted towards the harvesters. Discarding the cannon Jay looked to Kira "Do it" he said. Kira nodded as she activated ArchAngel's laser rain, the machine's divine wings extended outward and folded forward covering its body "Firing now" Kira said as she flipped a switch in front of her.

ArchAngel's wings flew back as a barrage of divine white lights were fired towards the line of harvesters assembled in front of them. "This'll take too long Kira let's go" Jay yelled hitting the switch behind him separating the two Wyvernns. "Arm hot and engage at will" Jay said as Kira separated from him. Hearing a loud ping on his radar Jay looked up and saw the giant eye ships flying towards them "Dammit we shouldn't have separated" he yelled as the two ships fired yellow chins at the Nirvana piercing through its armor and hooking its arms.

Back in the elevator Hibiki was crawling around to Ezra's legs muttering to himself "What?" he yelled looking back at the speaker on the wall. "Mr. Alien please we have to help her" Dita cried holding Ezra's head up. "Alright I'm in position" Hibiki said. Magno yelled "All right Ezra take a deep breath and push with all your might one...two...three push". Holding Dita's hand Ezra began pushing "Ok so I grabbed the head when it appears...wait what" Hibiki began screaming when he saw the head appear "Hibiki stay calm you need to grab the baby's head and pull very gently" Duelo said. "You make it sound so easy" Hibiki complained. "You can do this Mr. Alien I know you can" Dita cried. "I can't I just can't" he complained. "Fine then I'll do it you hold Ezra's hand" Dita said. Looking down at Ezra Dita smiled at her "Everyone on the Nirvana has been waiting for the birth of your baby that's why you must have a safe delivery".

"Thank you Dita" Ezra said. During the silence Duelo closed the book and placed it aside "Doctor don't tell me you've had a change of heart" Magno asked. "I finally understand. The lessons life teaches us can't be read in a textbook" he said with a grin. Back in the elevator Dita removed her dress folded it and placed it under Ezra's legs "Everything is going to be fine Ezra, just wait your baby is going to be beautiful" she said.

Out in space the battle continued to wage as the two miniature flagships began drawing their chains back dragging the Nirvana closer to them. "Focus on the grappling devices first. Jura, Barnette you take the port side" Meia ordered. Jay shot down several cube-types as he attempted to get to Kira to reform ArchAngel, watching his wing man Jay narrowed his eyes "Kira your style is getting sloppy focus" he yelled. Kira replied is a sad voice "Sorry I'm all right now" she said after shooting down a cube-type. Flying alongside Kira Jay said "Kira let's finish this". "Right" she replied before they merged once again forming ArchAngel.

Back in the elevator Ezra gave one final push the baby was finally born, its cry echoed not only to the Infirmary, but throughout the ship and to the fighters in space as well. And to everyone's surprise the Nirvana regained power to all of its systems. Out in space the dread teams destroyed one of the sub-flagships while the ArchAngel sliced through the other then fired its laser rain to destroy the remaining force hearing the cry of the baby on radio Kira smiled and looked over to Jay "Can you hear it Jay". Jay leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes "Yea, let's head home" he said before separating the ships.

Docking at the hanger Jay jumped out of his Wyvernn and waited for Kira to join him, looking over to Meia as she climbed out of her dread he smiled and waved at her "Hmm I wonder what kind of kids you and Meia would have" Kira said startling Jay. "I think we're a little young for kids my dear" Jay replied as the two began heading for the infirmary. In the elevator Ezra is holding her baby "Look at that she's already sound asleep". Dita kneeled in front of her "That's because she knows there's nothing to worry about". Parfet's voice came from the speaker "Sorry to keep you waiting I'll have you down in a few seconds". "Just get us outta here" Hibiki moaned.

As the elevator started the rail couplings snapped and the elevator plummeted down the shaft "Hey Parfet I meant in one piece" Hibiki yelled. Suddenly the elevator stopped and Pryoro yelled "Pryoro 2 I will protect Pryoro 2". The small white robot pushed the elevator up to the nearest deck, the doors opened showing Dita sitting on her knees next to Ezra, while Hibiki was doubled over on his stomach "Overload. Shutting down" he mumbled before passing out. Jay walked over to the opened elevator and shook his head at the sight of Hibiki "I swear its nothing beyond dumb luck that he's survived this long". Kira stepped onto the elevator to help Dita and Ezra out seeing the baby she smiled "She beautiful Ezra congratulations".

Entering Reg central to continue his game of poker with Gascogne Jay sat down to listen to the message playing throughout the ship "Since you've left our home world of Earth it has suffered drastic and cataclysmic changes. When you left in your frontier ships mankind turn to madness leaving the idea of prosperity behind". Jay closed his eyes while he continued to listen to the message _'Earth huh? I was under the impression that planet was dead'_ he though.

The female scientist took over "Take a look at this. This is what your homeland looks like now. The once blue atmosphere is now hidden away by a monstrous web of hideous machinery, in which Luna the Earth's moon was knocked out of orbit. As a result the planet experienced a catastrophic change in its gravitational field and in the present atmosphere, violent storms rage constantly. The surface is like a giant acidic washing machine. What Earthlings that are left have created cities within these gears and hold on for dear life."

The male continued, "When you left, people first believed that you were mankind's greatest hope but this faith faded in time. And so the people left on the stagnant Earth became convinced that they were the last true humans and so gained the justification to self-preservation. Unfortunately the gene pool was so empty that cloning attempts led to disastrous results so with the same justification they claimed the right to harvest the organs of others like yours and use them for their own self-preservation."

"So that's what the harvest is all about" Magno said. In Reg central Jay stood up from his chair and stared at the screen and smiled "Let's see what they've got" he said under his breath as he left the area. The man furthered, "This self-preservation eventually consumed the Earthlings so using the last of the original Paksis they created a fleet of unmanned harvesters to hunt you down mercilessly and harvest you completely" This was a complete surprise to Hibiki and the three dread pilots. "Jay did you hear that" Kira cried in fear. "We already knew they wanted to harvest us Kira so stop whining. The only thing that's changed is we know why they want to, this game hasn't changed at all we're still the only hope for Gelinkos and we will fight" Jay said in a cold voice.

Kira lowered her head her voice began trembling as she spoke "Jay what should we do next?" Turning to her Jay smiled "We are the Holy Knights of Gelinkos we will fly into battle in the name of our home and defeat anything that threatens it or our friends. As four wings we flew into battle and came back time and time again, now we are only two and we still live, as long as the Holy Knights still fly Gelinkos is safe".

The female scientists finished, "We don't know why this insanity consumed them but we know that the people of Earth have made a terrible mistake. It is in order to stop this insanity that we are sending our messenger to find you. I doubt that I will ever meet you, you who are watching this message, but please help human beings everywhere regain their dignity and self-respect. Protect the circle of life, there's nothing more we can do now its all up to you. Do not let the eternal flame of life be extinguished" the video ends.

BC mumbled, "To protect the circle of life, huh?" Magno vowed, "We have accepted this challenge and now we must carry on their wish. For humanity. And for a future where every child can grow up smiling" In the infirmary Dita watched the sleeping baby "Oh she's so cute" looking over to Ezra Dita asked "So have you chosen a name yet?" The small white robot next to her hopped up "Pryoro two". While Dita and Pryoro began arguing over the name Misty walked into the room and placed her hand against the doorway to balance herself. "Oh its you" Ezra said seeing Misty in the doorway "Are you feeling better?". Misty smiled and nodded "Yes thank you. I heard about the baby congratulations. That's great". Ezra smiled "Thank you".

Hibiki came in the infirmary and apologized for the way he acted "Don't worry come over and have a look at the baby" Dita said. Misty quickly walked over to him "I heard all about it. How you took one look at that baby and fainted you were out cold". Hibiki barked "That's enough. You have no right to make fun of me". Misty cried "I just love people like that" she grabbed hold of his cheeks and pulled him into a kiss shocking both Dita and Pryoro. Letting go of Hibiki Misty licked her lips as he fainted "He's so cute don't you agree". Hearing laughter from the other side of the door Misty stuck her her head out to see Jay standing with Kira "I can't help it he's such a wuss" he laughed before entering the infirmary nodding his head at Misty.

Walking over to the baby Jay looked through the glass that covered the bed "She's cute" he said with a small smile, Kira looked over to Ezra "So what's her name?". Once again the small NAVI bot hopped up and exclaimed "Pryoro two". Jay grabbed the robot by its head and swiftly turned around rearing back Jay launched the robot into the next room and closed the doors behind it "That's enough out of him for a while. So about that name". Ezra smiled as she looked over to her new born baby "I haven't decided yet". Jay thought for a brief second before he looked back at Ezra "How about Meimei, it means Divine in our language". Kira looked at Jay with surprise "Jay are you sure?" she asked. Jay nodded "Ultimately its Ezra's decision, but I figured I'd throw it into the pot". Ezra smiled softly "Meimei...I think its lovely".


	3. New Look

On a dying world the crew of the Nirvana have made a brief stop to try and assist the people living on its diseased surface. The entire planet might as well have been just a ball of dirt and rock seeing the condition of its surface, not even plants could survive its poisonous atmosphere. And the people that lived there, they were contaminated the moment they made contact with the air of the planet. Their physical features are obvious of their disease no muscle mass other than what holds they're bodies together their skeletal structures easily show against their Mal-nourished bodies.

The Nirvana crew members have all been given an special shot to protect them against contamination while they give as much help as they can to the people of this diseased world. Sitting at the edge of a hill top looking down on the small village was Kira alongside Jay. "I can't stand it, how could anyone or anything do this to another living thing?" Kira said through small tears. Jay didn't respond, he couldn't think of anything to say to comfort her, what could he say?

Down at the village Parfet and another engineer were setting up a machine that they hoped would be able to cure some of the infection that was plaguing the planet, so far no luck. The head engineer looked up from the control console of the machine and sighed "I guess we'll have to terraform this thing from scratch". Activating a communication device in her ear she contacted Vandread Jura which was shielding the planet from above "How are you guys doing?"

Hibiki replied "We're inside the planet's atmosphere right now." Parfet said "Get ready to experiment a little. Hold your positions". Across from Hibiki, Jura was painting her fingernails purple while they waited for their orders from below. Just like the rest of the crew they both had anger and hate flowing through their minds at what Earth had done to the planet below them.

Jura spoke in a distant, but sad voice "You know what. This reminds me of a story Kira told me. It was about a warrior who's village had been plagued by a strange disease and everyone who lived their had fallen deathly ill. The knight was the only one who hadn't contracted the disease and he was the only one strong enough to find a way to cure it. He set off on a quest to find a fabled tree whose leaves when ground up could be used as a medicine to cure any ailment. Along his journey he encountered a princess who had also contracted the mysterious disease, she was also searching for the tree along with her most trusted guards. Allowing the lone knight to join them in their quest they all traveled together and eventually became good friends. However one night while they slept a group of mystic thieves attacked them, they used their magic to easily overpower the princess' guards and the lone knight. After defeating the guards the thieves began taking everything they could carry, they even tried to kidnap the ill princess. The lone knight forced himself to his feet and with a single swing of his sword he cut down their leader. The group was enraged over their leader's death and they cast a curse on him one that would disease his arms so what ever he touched would die"

Taking a short breath Jura closed her eyes before she continued "The princess however turned out to be no ordinary human, she was in fact a fallen angel. She forced herself up and cast her own spell onto the knight infusing him with her own holy power, The knight now had the ability to cause death or life at will, but the use of her powers exhausted the last strand of life from the princess and she died in front of him. Filled with grief and anger over her sacrifice to him the knight used his power to destroy the band of thieves, he easily stood against their magic and killed each of them. After he buried his friends the knight continued his quest to find this tree, after reaching the spot where the tree was said to be he found out that it had died long ago. Saddened by his failure the knight raised his arms to the sky and pleaded to be given the chance to save his people. His prayers were answered as his silver armor glowed with holy light and a divine voice whispered in his ear _'Run back to your village and lay your hands on everyone'_ the voice was the angel that sacrificed herself to help him. The knight took up his sword and shield and ran back to his village, upon arriving he did as he was told and to his surprise he cured everyone. After his holy act however the knight died, but his spirit remained to forever protect his people"

After she finished Jura glanced at Hibiki from the corner of her eyes and forced a small confident smile. Hibiki looked away from her and back to the controls of the ship _'We could sure use someone like that now'_ he thought.

Down in the infirmary Bart was telling a half fake story about the beginning of the Nirvana's journey to a little girl named Shirley, which actually made the girl happy. Watching from behind the curtains Gascogne and Barnette were standing in the shadows. Gascogne managed to smile and said "When someone like him lies that audaciously I don't even feel like scolding them". Looking at the ground Barnette said "I feel sorry for her. That girl I heard she's been in this quarantine ward ever since the moment of birth." Gascogne looked over to the girl with a sympathetic smile "I guess letting her hear a tall tale or two is the least we can do"

After night had fallen shifts had changed and Kira returned to a tent to get some rest, but Jay couldn't sleep he didn't want to instead he stayed in the main tent with Duelo and Paiway. Bart came in and proposed that they take the people to Tarak to get better medical care. While the idea was a good one it had already crossed Duelo's mind and it wasn't possible. With his idea shot down Bart tried to keep a smile as he left, but it was obvious that he really felt bad about what was happening. Jay was sitting against a wall with a small flashlight resting on his shoulder he was reading a paperback book "Hey what are you reading?" Paiway asked using her puppet.

Looking up at the young nurse Jay gave her a warm smile and held the cover up for her to see. "The Tale of Sturm Tempesta. Sounds cool what's it about?" Paiway asked using her own voice. Jay turned his attention back to the book and said "Its about an ancient warrior who fought for his freedom against a merciless king". Jay looked away from his book and out the window to the sky far above them wondering how Hibiki and Jura were doing.

On the bridge of the Nirvana Misty and Dita were helping to monitor Vandread Jura's side of the experiment. "This is the fifth time now" Misty said as the experiment once again failed. Concerned Dita contacted the Vandread and cried "Mr. Alien do you feel any pain"

Hibiki's screen appeared and the pilot replied in a cocky tone "You got to be kidding this is nothing" as he finished speaking Jura collapsed her head onto his shoulder "I can't take it anymore" she said a hint a seduction in her voice. Misty was angered by this and cried "What's she doing that old hag". Over by the operator seats Meia was watching their progress along with BC "Do you think they'll be all right?" Meia asked "They've been holding an entire planet for some time now".

BC looked up to the blue-haired pilot and said "Parfet said it depends on their will power as well as the condition of the Peksis." Meia turned back to the screens ahead of them "The Peksis. What I heard is that the Peksis' data was purposely destroyed in order to create the current environment. Recently I have been wandering what this substance really is." BC smiled at her gently "I understand, Meia. At first I believed it to be the ideal energy system until recently, now I believe it has a will of its own".

Jay was with Bart outside Shirley's room watching her fiddle with something. Jay nodded his head towards the room telling Bart to go talk to her. Seeing Bart in the doorway Shirley quickly hid what she had in her hands "Shirley what are you hiding?" Bart asked in a fake serious tone. "Nothing. Good morning how are you?" she asked smiling. "You don't have to be so formal with me you know" Bart said leaning against his knees. Shirley giggled "Here" she said pulling the edge of her sheets down revealing a doll of Bart. "Its not finished yet so I was embarrassed to show you. Do you like it?" she said.

Watching from the doorway Jay felt an unbearable pain in his heart, he was enraged at the fact that this little girl was going to be confined to this room for her entire life. "If you do that then I'll make it up to you by granting any wish you want. No matter what it is all you have to do is ask" Bart said bowing to her. "You got it" Bart said. After hearing that Jay knocked on the wall getting Bart's attention "Bart I got new information from the Nirvana.

Walking over to Jay Bart leaned his head closer and lowered his voice to a whisper "Well how are they doing?" he asked. Jay moved his eyes over to Shirley before he answered "Bart you shouldn't make promises you can't keep". Surprised Bart slowly backed away from the white-haired pilot "I can keep that promise I'm going to take her up there and let her see the real sky" he said in an angry whisper. Jay said in a calm sad voice "Bart she can't go outside and you know it, if she leaves this tent she'll die. I know how you feel about this, but you can't make a promise like that until the others manage to do something".

Before Bart could say anything Shirley began gasping for air as she clenched the doll to her chest and hunched over. "Shirley" Bart yelled rushing over to her with Jay right behind him. "I'm all right don't worry" she coughed before hunching over again in pain. "Dammit. Bart stay with her" Jay yelled as he rushed out of the room to get Duelo. After stabilizing her Bart looked to the young doctor and cried "If it helps use any part of me that you need. You can take anything just make her well...". "Enough" Jay yelled cutting him off "That won't work its not that simple, this isn't a problem that can be solved like that".

Kira ran into the room and told Duelo there was an emergency that required his attention. In the lobby of the medical tent Gascogne was carrying a women who had collapsed outside, after explaining what had happened she placed her on the examination table. "She's pregnant and its almost time" Duelo said after examining the woman. Gascogne said in an aggravated tone "It doesn't matter who it is. Every one of them is sick". Duelo looked over to the reg leader and said "I've begun to formulate a theory about all of this. If they can avoid contamination at birth, they will be able to prevent contracting the disease for the rest of their lives".

Outside the tent Parfet was making notes on the failed experiment and sighed "I guess we really our trying to change an entire planet". Behind her Gascogne was leaning against a large metal crate and said, "Perhaps we really are full of ourselves. If we had the ability to do this, I'm sure the problems on Mejere would've been long gone". Barnette asked "Do you think you can quarantine the hospital right now?" Parfet asked her "Why do you want to do that?" Barnette exclaimed "There's a baby about to be born. The doctor said the reason for the disease could be that they're contaminated at birth when they come into contact with the planet's atmosphere".

Parfet said in a curious tone "So all we gotta do is make sure that they don't come into contact with this planet's environment". Pryoro who was behind her held its arms out and said "But we don't have enough peksis do we?" Parfet turned to the robot and cried "Well we'll just have to take that chance won't we. Let's procure a space needed for that baby no matter what it takes"

Up in the atmosphere, inside the Vandread's cockpit Hibiki had finally given in and collapsed against the console exhausted "I can't take this anymore" he said. Feeling Jura leaning against him he yelled and pushed her off "What do you think you're doing?" Jura straightened herself and whined "I'm just so exhausted". Before Hibiki could say anything the radar showed up and gave off a loud blip showing an inbound ship. "The enemy they're finally here" Hibiki said. "Perfect timing as usual" Jura cried. As Hibiki readied himself for a battle the two pilots were given orders to hold their positions, much to his displease. Jura seemed to be happy that she didn't have to fight this time.

Back in the medical tent Barnette and Gascogne entered Shirley's room and told Bart of the incoming enemy "I know how you feel, but without you the ship doesn't go anywhere" Gascogne said seeing his expression. Standing up Bart clenched his fists together "I'll protect you with my life" he said looking down at Shirley as she slept. Looking back to the two women in the doorway he said "Let's go".

As the harvest ship began releasing cube-types Meia ordered Dita to command the B team until Barnette arrived, looking above her she saw Kira set herself in formation alongside Jay "Be careful you two" Meia said before returning her attention to the enemy. Jay's screen appeared next to her "Don't worry Meia, we can handle this". Kira's screen appeared on the other side of Meia she managed to smile "That's right just leave the lead ship to us" she said holding her finger up and winking at her. As the battle began Jay and Kira flew through the enemy evading fire while the dreads provided cover "Kira trail high and follow close" Jay ordered as he watched his HUD waiting for his gun reticule to highlight. Once the gun light showed Jay pushed his thrust lever to full and pulled the trigger on his flight stick firing his guns at the enemy ship before pulling out. Kira who flew in behind him launched two X-class missiles which scored direct hits.

Seeing the cube-types strategically block certain attacks and evade others Meia growled with frustration "They're getting even smarter". Jay's screen appeared in front of her he smiled and said "Well that means we'll have to show them how much they still have to learn. Right?" Meia smiled and nodded before reentering the battle. On the other side of the battle field the Vandread began taking fire and its shields began failing, "We're in trouble here" Hibiki yelled. "Hang on kid we're coming" Jay yelled. "Kira change in plans we're going to fly cover for the Vandread" he ordered. "Got it moving to provide support" Kira replied.

As the two Wyvernns approached the Vandread a cube-type was shot down and crashed through part of the Vandread's shield roaring through the atmosphere it hit the surface below with great force shaking the nearby village. In the medical tent Shirley awoke after hearing the echo of the explosion and looked to the table next to her seeing the unfinished doll she weakly reached for it determined to finish it. As her hand drew closer to the edge of the table the last of her energy dropped just as she grabbed the edge of the cloth pulling the doll off the table dropping it to the floor. Hearing an emergency ring Duelo looked up to the monitor and yelled "That's from Shirley's room. Paiway call the captain tell her she'll have to deliver the baby".

As the battle above the planet waged on the leading ship of the harvest closed in on Vandread Jura and opened its mouth sucking in everything around it like a giant vacuum attempting to swallow the Vandread and its shield. Just as the Vandread was about to give Barnette and Gascogne showed up and fired several missiles into the harvest ship's mouth stopping its attack. "Oh Barnette I just love you" Jura cried in delight. Over the radio they could hear Bart "I'll protect her. I'm not going to let those bastards get any closer" as the cube-types began attacking the Nirvana Bart stood his ground "I'm not moving no matter what happens I'm not going to give an inch". Clenching his fists again Bart mentally cried _'For all you care we're nothing at all, but these people they're trying their best to live their lives to the fullest. Shirley I won't give up so...so you can't give up either OK. Don't give up'._ "I will never let those things get you" he yelled throwing his arms out.

The Nirvana began changing its sides opened up as if they were lids and several missiles were pushed forward ready to fire at the enemy. "Get away from this planet" the helmsman yelled, and with one final thrust of his arm he unleashed a barrage of lasers in all forward directions shocking the pilots fighting before the ship and to their surprise the lasers arched around them and continued to attack the harvesters only. After destroying all of the harvesters as well as the leading ship the crew returned to the planet's surface to check on the progress. Jay looked out to the distance mesmerized by an unseen entity _'What was that just now?'_ he wondered.

Checking the machine outside the quarantined field Paiway cheered "The baby is healthy". The leader of the village thanked them for what they have done, but Parfet didn't feel the same "What I really wanted to do was purify the entire planet, but this is all we could do". The elder man said "No. What you have done is more than enough, you have created a small sanctuary on this barren wasteland. You have given us a ray of light in a bitter place of darkness, a beacon of hope for our future. This light will surely shine upon many future generations as they revive our world into a vivid one full of life, even though we won't live to see it I know it will happen and for that I thank you all"

Landing on the surface Bart jumped out of the ship and ran into Shirley's room to tell her the good news. Stopping at the doorway the helmsman froze at the sight of the unplugged respiratory machine, and the motionless Shirley on the bed next to it. Clumsily walking over to the bed he said "Come on wake up I got a great story to tell you" he reached down to shake her, but Duelo stopped him "She did her best, she hung on until the end, but I was unable to help her any longer forgive me". Looking at the floor Bart saw the unfinished doll of him Shirley had been making, silently reaching down and grabbing it he walked out of the tent without saying anything.

Outside Bart sat on a small rock holding the doll gently in his hands until Magno snapped him out of his trance. Not too far off Jay was listening to Magno's words as well while he read the final lines in his book "Keep the memories of the ones you love close to you hold them dear and never let go". Closing the book Jay quietly got to his feet and returned to his Wyvernn preparing to head back to the Nirvana _'They'll get what's coming to them in the end. I swear it'_ he yelled in his head as he took off and returned home. Entering the bridge Bart sternly walked over to the helmsman portal he had shaved his head and now wore the unfinished doll around his neck taking in a short breath he jumped in the portal and powered up the ship.

Entering his room Jay lied on his bed and stared at the dark ceiling remembering the final lines of the book he read _'I fight not for myself, but for the one I love. And nothing can stop me from reaching her'_. "Fight on Bart, fight for her as I do for them" he said before closing his eyes and drifting to sleep. In the hanger Kira was talking with Meia and Barnette telling them another story of her and Jay "There were four of us, Jay, myself, Jay's father Jack and Rainer. Jay's father flew the lead he was known as the Blood Hunter due to his Wyvernn's blood red color and his ability to chase down any enemy. Rainer flew number 4 in the yellow Wyvernn. Together we were called the Holy Knights of Gelinkos, we we're the pride of our entire Air Force" Pausing to look at the two Wyvernns in the hanger Kira's heart sank "We flew as four, but now there's only two. Rainer died in an explosion during a test flight agaisnt the new Widow fighter and Jack died defending us". Barnette nodded slowly showing that she understood "So that's what happened". Meia stayed silent _'He won't die. He...he can't'_ she thought before she said good night leaving for her room.


	4. Riot

In the Gym Kira and Jay were having another sparring match, Barnette, Meia and Misty were watching from the edge of the mat as the two pilots continued to trade blows and evade one another. After being speared off his feet Jay quickly kicked up and side stepped an attempted clothesline from Kira retaliating with an inverted suplex "Will you just stay down already" Jay yelled after Kira scrambled to her feet. A small, painful smile crept across her face "Sorry, but I'm winning this one" she said before the two locked in another grapple.

Quickly shifting around Jay swept Kira's leg knocking her off balance. Roughly jumping to the side Kira managed to catch Jay with a one-legged dropkick before she rolled to the side. Kicking up once more Jay stumbled forward and wiped the sweat from his forehead "All right time to end this" he said charging towards Kira. Kira sidestepped the spear and swung her leg out for a roundhouse kick, but Jay ducked under it and grabbed her by the neck, lifting her up he quickly slammed her down onto her back.

Kneeling next to her he removed the key from her belt and ran for the coin at the edge of the mat claiming it in victory "Game over" he panted before he fell to his knees. Slowly getting to her feet Kira slammed her hand on the mat before smiling _'Good job Jay'_ she said mentally. Walking over to the doorway Jay placed the emerald coin and the two keys in his pocket "See ya" he waved as he left the gym.

Grabbing a towel from the bench and sitting down Kira sighed "He's getting to good for me" she laughed "Maybe I should retire like O'Brian did". Barnette walked over to her "Well from what he's told me Kira, your the only one who can actually challenge him" she said handing her some water. Kira chuckled before taking the Styrofoam cup "True. Although sometimes I feel like he might actually be the Holy Knight from that old legend. He's kind, loyal and he's the single most persistent person I know" Kira looked at her reflection in the cup of water slowly rubbing her thumbs along the side of it.

"He could take on the entire Gelinkos Air Force and still survive" she said before looking back up.

After his shower Jay walked onto the bridge still drying his neck and face with a towel he was dressed in a blue Hawaiian shirt with a crashing wave design along with matching blue jean shorts "So who are you pumpkins?" the bald man from the communication monitor asked. Draping the towel over his left shoulder Jay looked up at the screen "Something tells me I'm gonna have to hurt him" he snickered as he leaned again Belvedere's terminal.

Stepping forward BC cleared her throat before speaking "We originate from the planet Mejere, We've had a long voyage and are running low on supplies we would like to dock and resupply if possible"

The Bald man laughed loudly "Ha. What's that some kind of joke. We're running short ourselves"

BC gave a small smile "We also have some excellent engineers on board if you let us dock they can help you with some system repairs"

The bald man looked to his left and nodded before returning his attention to BC "All right, but we have one rule here and its eat or be eaten, so if you don't care about your personal safety then come on down"

In the hanger Jay was helping Barnette unload some rather interesting weapons from some cases "Barnette I love you" he said standing up and pulling the hammer back on an old M9 glock. Watching from the transport ship's ramp Jura asked "Hey just what are you two gonna do with some old stuff like that?" Barnette closed her eyes and smiled evilly "Well there's a good chance we might see some close quarters combat". Holstering another handgun on his belt Jay loaded a clip into his M16 and locked the safety before he placed it's sling over his shoulder "Jay your not going to shoot them are you?" Kira asked slinging her tool bag over her shoulder "Not unless I have to" Jay replied getting to his feet. "Oh please let them shoot at me" he muttered to himself.

"All righty then let's go" Jay cheered as he jumped onto the transport ship. After docking at the station Jay and Barnette stood at each side of the door each of them holding a gun ready just in case. After releasing the safety locks on their guns they waved for BC to open the door. As the doors slid open Jay rolled out aiming his guns to the left while Barnette held her's out scanning around the room "A lot more people than I thought would be here" Jay said getting to his feet keeping a tight grip on his weapon.

Walking down the hall towards the center of the station Jay kept looking at the water pipes and air vents "This place probably hasn't received maintenance since it was built" he said running his fingers along one of the pipes. "I've never seen anything that needs repairs this badly" Kira whispered as she followed next to Jay.

Stopping at the bottom of a stair case the bald man they spoke to nodded his head to the side "This way" he grunted as he turned to and walked away. "I don't trust this guy" Jay whispered to BC after running over to her. "Neither do I, but he prove useful in the right situation" she replied calmly. Walking down another hall, that resembled more of a prison block than anything several men were whistling and yelling at the women trying to get their attention.

"How primitive" Jay growled as he reached for his pistol. Hearing someone yell a degrading sexual remark at Kira Jay grabbed the handle of his gun only to have Kira slap his hand "Don't worry about that, just stay focused" she whispered.

Entering a large darkened room the group continued to walk forward until several spot lights hit them from the corners of the room. Holding his hand in front of his face Jay looked around they were in some kind of arena with a chain-linked fence surrounding them "Great underground fight club. Is there anything civil about this place?" he complained.

Hearing laughter from the top of another staircase they looked up and saw a woman with dark purple hair sitting on what looked like a leather seat almost like she was a queen. "Well we've got some rather rambunctious guests here" she said looking down at the crew. "Are you the leader of this place?" BC yelled.

The woman merely smiled "I wouldn't call myself that. Considering there's not a guy here with enough guts to stand up to me. Right Patch?" she said looking at the tall bald man standing next to her.

The bald man looked shocked for a second "Of course. It would be suicide to go up against you Miss Liz" he said half bowing. Liz asked "So, Patch where do our guests come from?"

BC yelled "We come from a planet called Mejere."

The thug leader said to herself "So our guests come from behind the great magnetic storm?" Then she looked to the audience "No wonder you don't know how to talk."

"Magnetic storm?" Parfet mumbled. "Well, it seems they know who we are so it's no shocker they would tease us a little." Gascogne said looking around for anything that might cause trouble.

BC said "We have no intention of being a burden to you in anyway. We merely wish to resupply on some supplies we've expended and take a brief rest. In return we'll share our technical expertise with you". The leader let out a gruff laugh "Thanks, but its not as if we're in any trouble right now, but we do lack some entertainment"

BC narrowed her eyes "If afraid I don't understand what you mean". "I see where this is going" Jay said stepping forward "We have to fight for it right? Take what we want by force?". Ms. Liz smiled "That's right". "How about we go 7 against 7? I'll give you what you want even if only one of you survives".

Jay took off his belt and handed it to Kira "Better idea. How about you and the big guy right there" he nodded towards Patch "Against me and BC". Liz smiled "Well that actually sounds like a fine idea. What do you think Patch?". Patch grinned "Sounds great to me. I've been waiting for some action".

Getting out of her chair Liz said "All right its settled choose your weapons, anything except projectiles is fine by me". Tapping his right foot on the ground Jay rolled his shoulders back "Come on big guy let's see if you can challenge me". BC stepped forward and revealed a whip from her belt "So tell me friend when does the bell ring".

Gascogne smirked "Its been a while since BC brought that old thing out". Pryoro said "It fits her so well its almost scary". Waiting for their opponents Jay looked over his shoulder at BC "How about a little competition? See who takes out their opponent first". BC smirked "Your on".

As the fight began Jay quickly got behind Patch and drop kicked him in the back knocking him forward, jumping to his feet Jay ducked around his arm and kicked him in the back of the knee before jumping on his back and wrapping his arm around his neck locking his hand against his elbow while his other arm gripped the side of his head "This is called a sleeper hold big guy" Jay said as he wrapped his legs around Patch's gut "You've got about 20 to 25 seconds to get me off before you pass out".

Looking over his shoulder Jay watched in amusement at how easily BC made Liz look like a fool.

Back on the Nirvana Meia and Duelo were examining the outpost "Even their radar system has many faults" the dread pilot said. Zooming in on a central spot of the station Duelo pointed out that whatever damaged the station was recent, that's when a small alarm rang from the terminal "What's going on?" Paiway asked staring at a blip that was quickly approaching the station.

In the arena Patch was thrashing around trying to get Jay off of him "You got 10 seconds big'in" Jay yelled as he tightened the sleeper hold. Feeling Patch brace himself Jay predicted what he was going to do and released the hold and pushed off his back just as he jumped up. Landing on his back Patch quickly got up, but the damage had already been done he lost his vertical base "Game over" Jay yelled as he rushed towards Patch.

Ducking under his swing Jay turned around and super kicked him in the head making him tumble back, crouching against his knees Jay waited for Patch to turn back around before charging at him full speed and ramming into his gut. Knocking him down Jay quickly got up and backed away as Patch clawed his way back to his feet "Ha ha This is fun" Jay said shuffling back on his feet. After Patch got up he threw something at Jay and barreled in behind it.

Ducking under the rock Patch threw Jay was knocked down as Patch barged into him with his shoulder "Where's that smart mouth of yours now kid" he yelled as the crowd cheered him on. Kicking up from the ground Jay smiled "Its right here" he said pointing to his own mouth. Angered by Jay's arrogance Patch charged him again, but this time Jay was ready he side stepped him and kicked him in the back of his knee faltering his balance.

Punching him in his kidney area several times Jay stunned him before circling around to his front "Your done" he said grabbing him by the throat and throwing his arm over his shoulder. With a yell of effort Jay lifted Patch off the ground and choke slammed him on the back of his neck, running over to the chain-linked fence a few feet away Jay ran up the the fence and pushed off using the momentum to flip around he landed a lion-sault on Patch.

Getting to his feet Jay threw his arm up motioning for Patch to get to his feet "Come on we ain't done yet" he yelled. Patch slowly got to his feet and feel to one knee breathing heavily "You little punk" he yelled as he turned around. After he turned the only thing Patch saw was Jay's boot slamming into his face knocking him out. Turning around to watch BC finish off Liz Jay walked over to the others and leaned against the fence "That was amazing" Hibiki said.

Jay smirked smugly as BC used her whip to trip Liz. Seeing that the match is over Jay walked forward stepping on Patch's stomach as he tried to get up "Careful big guy" he said as Patch grunted in pain. "Well you lose" Jay smiled as he kicked Liz's saber away. "Well that was entertaining" a voice called from the shadows.

Looking up at the top of the stands they saw a man dressed in tribal clothing with a red eye-piece covering his right eye "Rabat" Liz muttered getting to her feet. Jay smiled "Well its good to see you again Rabat. How about it you want to go another round". Rabat held his arms up "Nope. I learned my lesson the last time I faced you kid, your one I can't contend with". Looking down at the fence he saw the group from the Nirvana staring at him, Hibiki was glaring his eyes filled with hate.

Before anyone could say anything an alarm sounded "Dammit just when we manage to forget them they come back, its almost like they're playing with us" Patch yelled getting to his feet and limping towards a door. "Hey where's the safest place?" Gascogne asked. "Uh the central control room would be the safest" Patch replied scratching the side of his head. "Parfet Gascogne help escort everyone there, Dita, Hibiki and Kira head outside and take care of the enemy the rest of us will stay here and hold them off" BC ordered.

"GAME TIME!" Jay yelled climbing over the fence and the barbed wire. "Kira be careful out there" he said as she handed him his guns. "You too, you'd better come back in one piece". Jay nodded as he waited for everyone to start moving.

Waiting in a hall BC, Barnette, Jura and Jay watched the door in front of them waiting for the enemy to break through. Once the enemy came through the door Jura fired her laser rings at them, but the laser bounced off "A prism effect" BC said shocked. "Stay away" Jura screamed as one of the gel enemies got closer to her. Several gunshots echoed as Barnette and Jay shot down the gel spheres before they could attack Jura.

"When a beam doesn't work use something solid" Barnette said tossing a gun to Jura. Holstering his pistol and slinging his M16 into his arms Jay open fired on the enemy splattering them against the floor and walls. "Goddammit it its getting good" Jay yelled as he reloaded a clip into his rifle. "I'm out" Barnette said before dropping her gun and opening a case revealing a bigger, deadlier rifle. "Mind if I borrow this" BC asked pulling a shotgun from one of the cases.

Looking up at her Barnette said "Commander do you know how to use that..." BC began firing hitting each of the gel spheres with a single shot each. Looking down at Barnette she said "Sorry did you say something?". "Behind us" Jay yelled reading his rifle for another round. As the gel spheres got closer a row of fire shot at them from behind the corner. "I can't let our guests show off the whole time can I?" Liz asked stepping out form the hall armed with a flamethrower.

Watching from a walkway above them Rabat sighed as he shot a gel sphere over his shoulder without looking "Guess I can't let you have all the fun" he said before jumping over the rail to join the battle. "Fall back" Jay yelled as more began coming through the doorway. Liz led them down another hall as they were being pushed back towards the central control room "This way no good either" she said firing her flamethrower at a wave of spheres coming from their flank.

Slinging his rifle over his shoulder Jay drew his two pistols and began firing at the enemies in front of him. "Jay come on" Barnette yelled as they got further from him. "Keep going I'll buy you some more time" Jay yelled back as he reloaded his two guns. "Frag out" he yelled rolling a grenade across the floor before turning to catch up with the others. Stopping under the gel spheres the grenade exploded in a red and orange plasma cloud consuming the spheres.

"What was that?" Barnette asked amazed. "Plasma grenade, very effective" Jay said quickly checking his remaining ammo. "One clip each huh? All righty then let's see what you got" he said firing at the enemy. "Barnette, Jay come on" Jura yelled from the next room. Quickly diving into the room Barnette smashed the door control sealing it shut, "Now what are we going to do we're trapped and out of ammo" Jay said leaning against the wall.

"Well we just have to trust the battle to the dreads now" Gascogne said calmly. Jay smirked "Well we're in good hands then".

After a while the doors began giving way "Well its only a matter of time now" Gascogne said cracking her knuckles "Oh please come after me" Jay said slipping his hands into a pair of black and silver gloves, they had what looked like sensors along the palm and fingers. The doors opened and the gel spheres were stopped by a laser grid in the door way.

"That's pretty impressive" Rabat said as Buton hung from his back. "It won't last long get ready" Jay said as he took a step back. The laser grid shorted out and the gel spheres broke into the room only they were thrown up as the floor below them tore open and Vandread Dita stood there "Sorry to keep you waiting" Dita said from the cockpit. "A blue Kachina" Rabat said in amazement, but keeping his calm expression.

After the enemy was destroyed the Nirvana's crew kept their end of the deal and helped to restore the Mission to a serviceable state "Well this was a fun day" Jay said as he hung upside down from a ceiling panel replacing some wires. "Here this fuse switch should help" Kira said handing him a few small glass tubes. Taking the tubes Jay braced his legs that were hanging inside the ceiling shaft and pulled himself up and replaced the fuses and connected them. "That did it" he said dropping down from the panel.

Getting to his feet he stumbled forward from the blood rush and fell into Kira's arms. Kira's face turned a light red and she smiled as Jay actually fell asleep in her arms "You'll always be my baby brother Jay" she said kissing him on his forehead before Rabat helped her carry him back to the Nirvana.

Lying on his bed in the darkened room Jay tossed and turned in his sleep his face was sweating and red "No" he muttered quietly.

_'Another wave is coming in from the side' Kira yelled after shooting down an enemy fighter. 'There's too many we can't get all of them. HEY. Is the hangar bay fixed yet we need some help' Jay yelled. Parfet's screen appeared in his cockpit 'Sorry, but the hanger door's are still damaged we can't open them or launch the dreads'. Jay looked at his radar several of the enemy blips faded from coverage then reappeared a few seconds later along with a bigger blip 'Kira its here' he yelled seeing the giant machine fly towards them its dark-green armor and majestic black wings extended. Gripping his flight stick tightly Jay glared at the new enemy 'Dammit now what'._

_

* * *

_A/N. Well here it is. I'm taking a break to decide a few things, mainly what to do about the Sorcerer and the missing ships from teh Gelinkos factory, got a few loose ends to tie up and then I'll be back. Enjoy._  
_


	5. Gauntlet

Rapid footsteps echoed through the hangar as Jay continued to walk back and forth between Meia's dread and his Wyvernn the pilot sighed as he looked at his watch "Just another day" he grunted as he lifted a steel crate into his arms and made a brisk run to Meia's dread. Setting the crate down and typing in a code on the keypad the box hissed with a cold steam as the locks released themselves. Watching the temperature gauge slowly rise to room temperature Jay opened the crate and pulled out a silver machine gun from the crate.

"Still in perfect condition" he smiled as he set the light weight weapon on a lift and drove it to his girlfriend's dread. Hearing the hangar doors open behind him Jay looked back to see Kira and Barnette walking over to him. "What are you doing this time?" Kira asked seeing the machine cannon on the lift. "I'm installing a new weapon on Meia's dread. It's light weight so it won't slow her down, and it'll give her some extra firepower" Jay told her as he began welding piece's of the dread's armor off.

"Oh Barnette I got yours upgraded already check it out" he said pointing the welding torch towards Barnette's dread, which had two visible new weapons. A retractable shock cannon that would fire a small burst of concentrated static at a target effectively immobilizing any electrical system on it, and a light machine gun much like the one he was installing to Meia's dread.

Barnette smiled at the shiny new weapons that looked like they were begging to be tested "Thanks Jay I can't wait to try them". Jay gave her a silent thumbs up as he continued to work on Meia's ship. Kneeling next to Jay Kira tapped him on the face plate of his welding mask "Jay we've gotten more information about the Sorcerer". Jay immediately stopped working and stayed silent for a few seconds before he said "And? What have we learned?"

"Well there's a chemical emission field that can repel any form of energy attack directed at it. That unfortunately includes ArchAngel's laser. But the good news is the chemical field can only be used in 15 second intervals and it has to shut down its primary defense to use it". Jay stared at the under plate to Meia's dread his face broadcasting that he was thinking heavily on what Kira just told him "They don't know about the ArchAngel so we still have that as a surprise factor. They've probably already figured out how to use the Sorcerer so for now we'll just have to keep studying it and then play the waiting game".

After that note Jay placed the welding mask back on and continued working as Kira and Barnette left the hangar. After a while Jay finished installing the new weapon and rolled out from under the ship "Next the targeting system" he muttered to himself as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. Climbing into the cockpit of the dread he began entering the command sequence for the machine cannon 'Command sequence accepted. Master lock released' a female voice said from the console.

"I love my world's tech" Jay grinned as he began typing in target I.D. Signature's so the cannon would be able to discriminate between friendly and hostile. The hangar doors opened once again and Jay looked up to see Misty waving at him "What's up" she yelled as she ran over to the ship. "Work" Jay called back as Misty lifted herself to the edge of the Dread's cockpit "Always work work work all the time" Jay complained as he typed another code into the console.

"So what's this gonna do?" Misty asked as Jay entered the final command code. Jay leaned back in the pilot's seat and smiled "Its gonna give the harvesters something to think twice about" he said with a victorious smile. Jumping out of the dread Jay stretched his arms out and yawned "Well all that needs to be done now is to test it. Why don't you go find Meia and bring her here" he said patting Misty on the shoulder, the same way Kira did to him when he was younger.

As Misty left the hangar Kira returned she seemed a bit panicked "Jay we've got a problem" she yelled. "What is it" he asked sensing the danger in her voice. Before Kira could tell him the Nirvana shook with a violent rage as massive explosions impacted the outside of the ship. The alarm began blaring and BC's voice echoed from the loud speakers "Tarak fighters have launched a surprise attack on us all pilot's scramble immediately".

"This is it" Jay yelled as he sprinted to his Wyvernn. Powering up his ships Jay contacted the bridge "This is Jay I'm taking off". "Kira here I'm going out as well". Looking over to Kira's Wyvernn as it taxied itself into position to take off Jay smiled as he pushed his thrust lever forward launching simultaneously with Kira. Another missile impacted the starboard side of the Nirvana and Bart's screaming could be heard from the radios "Engineering what happened down there?"

Parfet's voice responded the sounds of severe panic could be heard in the background "The engine and the peksis have completely shut down. We can't do anything until the power is fixed". "Bart can you still fly the ship?" BC yelled from the bridge. Bart screamed in fear as another missile impacted just below the bridge "I can't do anything. The ships isn't responding to me. Ahhhh". Bart was launched from the helmsman portal and the usual bright green light faded to a dark color like a dying light bulb.

Another voice appeared from the radio "This is the hangar crew, the hangar doors and runway have been severely damaged we can't open the doors or launch anymore fighters". "Dread bay here our controls have been fried by some kind of electrical surge we can't do anything".

On the bridge BC gritted her teeth at how quickly the Nirvana was neutralized "Commander what should we do?" Belvedere asked her voice shrouded in fear. "We pray" BC said her voice was also covered with fear their only hope were the two pilots that had managed to launch.

In the woman's crew quarters Meia was trying to pry her bedroom door open with the power out the door console wasn't working. "Dammit" she yelled as she slammed her fist against the door "I have to get out of here" she grunted as another missile impacted the Nirvana. "Meia are you all right?" Dita's voice cried from the other side of the door. Meia glared at the door as if she were seeing through it "Dita the door's stuck go get some help" she yelled just loud enough for Dita to make out what she was saying.

Dita took a fearful step away form the door and spun on her heels "I'll be back just hold on" she yelled as she sprinted down the hall. Meia stepped away from the door and sat on her bed trying to remain calm despite the visible battle outside her window _"They'll be fine"_ she thought despite the fact that every time her eyes drifted to the window her body fidgeted with fear and anxiety. Seeing Jay's Wyvernn fly by her bedroom with several Tarak fighters closing in on him she jumped to her feet and peered out into space trying to get sight of him.

"Jay. Kira" she said quietly as they shot down a few Tarak fighters. "Meia" Misty's voice called from the hall. Hearing a loud sound of metal grinding against steel and the bedroom door slid open. Barnette, Dita, Misty and Hibiki were standing in the door way "Come on" Hibiki grunted as he and Barnette held the door open. Meia quickly ducked out of the room and Hibiki and Barnette released the door which quickly slid shut with a loud thud.

Meia quickly rushed to the hangar with the others behind her "Meia wait up" Dita cried trying to keep up with her commander. Stopping at the opened hangar doors Meia froze when she saw the extensive damage to the hangar and the launch bay doors "This isn't happening" she cried quietly as she rushed over to one of the hangar crew members "What's going on?". The crew member gave her a fearful look and informed her that the hangar and the runway was too damaged to be used. Without another word to anyone Meia turned around and took off for the bridge.

Arriving at the bridge Meia demanded to know the full status of the Nirvana "The peksis isn't responding and every engine and electrical system is offline. All our emergency power is divided between us, engineering and the hangar team" Amarone said trying to sound calm. Jay's screen appeared above the bridge "Picture clear all enemy fighters shot down".

Everyone on the bridge let out a sigh of relief as Jay and Kira fell back into formation and set their ships to auto pilot. "Well that sure was a scare" Captain Magno said leaning back in her seat. "Talk about an adrenalin rush" Jay joked as he closed his eyes. "Jay head's up" Kira yelled. Jay didn't have time to respond his cockpit lit up in red damage lights as a missile hit the underside of his fighter.

"Damn. Kira get back in formation we've got more company" he yelled as he deactivated the auto-pilot and flew towards the new enemy. Watching the battle from the bridge everyone tensed with anticipation at what could happen next. The radio emitted a small screen of static before a deep male voice spoke "Enemy spotted. That's definitely them. Schild team cleared to engage"

"Jay there's four of them" Kira yelled after she counted the enemy blips on her radar. "All right then let's take them out" Jay ordered as he flew head on towards the new enemy squad. "You've escaped us for too long Masterson. Your legend will die with you after I shoot you down" the enemy pilot said as he launched several missiles at Jay's Wyvernn.

Flying head on at the enemy Jay broke to his left at last second and fired two missiles at the enemy plane in the back scoring a direct hit with both shots "I've been hit" the pilot screamed before his fighter was destroyed. "Captain Schild 3 was just shoot down" an enemy said as he trailed after Kira. "Don't underestimate them stay on guard and and think fast" the lead pilot ordered after firing a missile at Kira.

"Kira. Dead on break it down" Jay yelled as he turned into a head on collision with his wingman. Kira watched Jay's Wyvernn with tight eyes as she counted to three in her head "Three" she yelled as she inched her plane's nose up by 10 degrees and fired two missiles destroying the fighter that was chasing Jay. Jay had tilted downward and done the same shooting down the third enemy fighter. "Damn this isn't good" the enemy leader said after his wingmen were shot down. "Burn" Jay yelled after gaining a lock on his target and firing two missiles and an X-class missile. The enemy pilot yelled in fear as the missiles scored hits to his fighter destroying it on contact.

"Jay Kira another enemy formation as appeared stay on guard" Celtic said after seeing four enemies on radar, but they were quickly covered by a green circle. "Jay something's wrong with the radar" Kira said after seeing the same green circle conceal an area of the radar. "No they've got a jammer with them" Jay yelled watching the intervals of the green circle fade then reappear.

"Nacht 1 to all planes target is within range release your missiles" another male voice said, this one sounded young probably 22 or 23 years old. "Kira find that jammer and take it down" Jay said after evading the wave of missiles that were fired at him. As Jay flew head on against the enemy Kira flew high and spotted the jammer flying slowly above the enemy formation. "Got you" she said to herself as she flew full speed towards the enemy fighter.

"Missiles away" Kira announced as she fired several missiles at the enemy fighter which turned too late and was destroyed. "Picture clear let's mop up the rest of them" Kira said as she joined Jay in battle. After one of the enemies was shot down their captain growled "Damn them. All pilots its time to get serious target the Silver one and take him out".

As the enemy began to signal out Jay he flew top speed away from them leaving Kira to bounce them from above. "That's another one down" Kira cried after shooting down another enemy. "Damn. Captain we can't take them like this if we chase one the other will...arghhh" Jay had made a sharp turn and shot down another enemy just before rolling to the side to avoid the others. "Nacht 3 to Nacht 1 give me some orders" an enemy said after evading an attack by Kira and Jay.

"Jay I'm coming in head on be ready" Kira said as she flew above Jay, and separated form him. Making a wide turn Jay flew head on against the enemy "Long range missile ready. Firing" he said as he fired a long range missile at the enemy leader. "I can evade this one" the captain said smugly as he turned to the right only to have Kira shot him from below causing the inside of his fighter to burst into flames. "Nacht 3 to base requesting back up hurry" the pilot panicked as both Jay and Kira closed in on him.

"No stop stay away from me" the pilot screamed launching several missiles directly at Kira. Surprised Kira turned right into a missile's path and took a severe hit to the underbelly of her fighter. "Damage at 72%" the cockpit warning system said as the red warning lights began flashing. "Look one of them is trailing smoke its time to take out the so called Holy Knights once and for all" a new enemy voice said as two more enemy fighters showed up.

"Kira fall back to the Nirvana I'll take care of them" Jay ordered as he flew past Kira at top speed gaining a lock with his long range missiles. Deciding it was her best option Kira lowered her speed and flew back to the Nirvana to get away from the battle "Be careful Jay" she said as she began turning off the minor systems to her fighter to reserve power.

After shooting down the two fighters Jay turned towards the Nirvana and made contact with the hangar crew "Hey is the hangar repaired enough for Kira to land?". "Sorry, but we still can't get the doors open. We can send Miss Gasco to retrieve her, but the Wyvernn is too big for the delivery ship to carry back". Jay quickly looked down at his radar and then his remaining ammunition "Kira eject Gascogne will pick you up and return you to the ship". Reaching behind her seat for her hazard suit Kira began the ejection sequence for her ship "Roger that preparing to eject".

Flying next to her Jay felt a sharp pulse race through his mind, immediately he looked up and yelled "Kira move now". Before anyone could say another word a barrage of missiles impacted Kira's Wyvernn and her screen went to static, on the Bridge the life signs of the pilot dropped and faded. "Kira" Jay's voice echoed through the radio as Kira's white Wyvernn was burning from the inside.

A wave of static appeared from the radio and a shaky female voice said "I'm all right I made it out just in time. I didn't have time to slip into my hazard suit, I'm hurt pretty bad. Don't worry I'll be fi..." a loud thud came through the radio, inside the escape pod Kira collapsed to the floor blood covering the left side of her body and a gash across her forehead, she was quickly bleeding out.

"Gasco get her out of here" Jay yelled as he turned to engage the new enemy formation. "I'm on it just keep me covered" Gascogne said as her retrieval pod detached from the Nirvana.

"Don't let them rescue the pilot. Take out that escape pod" a dark voice said from the radio. "This is Schuld 6 roger that I'll take care of it" Seeing the enemy blips fade in and out of radar coverage Jay immediately knew what he was fighting "Your the ones who stole the Widows and Serpents" he growled. "That's right. And what better irony to bring to the battle than to shoot you down with your own fighters" the enemy captain laughed as he fired a missile at Jay.

Quickly evading the missile Jay's vision slowed he was seeing everything in slow motion "Die" he yelled firing several missiles at one of the enemy fighters destroying it. "This is Schuld 9. Schuld 7 was just shot down Captain requesting orders". The dark voice that belonged to the captain of the new squad gave his team the order to shoot down the rescue ship. Jay's heart stopped after hearing that order everything around him slowed even more his hands gripped the flight stick of his fighter more and more tightly "No" he yelled as he turned and shoot down another enemy.

"Schuld 8 just went down. Damn we can't leave him unguarded someone has to deal with him" one of the enemies said as he separated form the group and went after Jay. Evading the enemy Serpent Jay zeroed in on the enemy's lead plane waiting for the missile to lock on. "This is Schuld 2. Rescue pod in range I've got a lock". "Schuld 1 to Schuld 2 fire at will".

The Widow fired several missiles at the rescue pod just as it connected to the escape pod that contained Kira. "Darn it Jay cover me" Gascogne yelled after the missile hit the back side of her ship. "J...Jay." Kira's voice said from the escape pod, her voice was distant and extremely weak "Jay...help".

Jay's hands began shaking with fear as he turned to fire at another enemy so many thoughts were racing through his mind he could see Kira lying in the escape pod dying slowly with eight enemies flying around outside. "This is Schuld 9 I've got a lock on the enemy fighter. Firing". Hearing the missile alert ringing in his cockpit Jay snapped his head up and made a sharp turn evading the missile.

Quickly looping around the enemy he gained a lock and fired two missiles and an X-class missile destroying him. "Schuld 5 here. Schuld 9 just went down. Schuld 6, and 10 follow me".Three of the enemy fighters separated from the group to shoot down Jay while the others attempted to shoot down Gascogne. "Schuld 6 target locked firing" the Serpent fired a missile that sped toward Jay's Wyvernn. Inside the Wyvernn's cockpit an alarm was screaming as the missile approached. At last second Jay dodged the missile and turned to evade another.

"Did you see that?" one of the enemy pilots yelled after Jay evaded a missile then in mid roll banked to evade another. "He just got lucky he won't do it again" Schuld 5 said as he fired several missiles. Launching a counter measure flare to draw a few missiles away Jay swiftly evaded the others and shot down Schuld 6. "Schuld 6 just went down how is this possible?" Schuld 10 screamed after evading another missile from Jay.

"Stay focused Schuld 10 its only one fighter we can take him" Schuld 5 said as he gained another lock on the Silver fighter. Evading another wave of missiles Jay made a steep loop up and straightened himself behind Schuld 10 "Help he's right behind me" the young pilot screamed as his cockpit's warning alarm went off. Jay narrowed his eyes and fired before making a tight roll to the left to avoid a missile fired by Schuld 5.

"Schuld 10 was shot down. This...this isn't possible. His maneuvering is inhuman" Schuld 5 yelled as Jay raced towards the fighters pursuing Gascogne. "This is Schuld 3 my systems just went down I'm completely defenseless". "Schuld 3 eject he's locked onto you" Schuld 5 yelled as Jay sped towards the out of commission fighter. Firing another missile Jay scored a direct hit on the fighter's fuel tank causing an explosion that tore the fighter apart. "Schuld 3 was shot down Captain we have to focus on the enemy fighter" Schuld 2 said as he separated form formation to go after Jay along with Schuld 4.

"Schuld 1 to all pilots divert attention and take out the enemy fighter". As Schuld 2 and 4 closed in fast from head on Schuld 5 began closing in form behind Jay the Wyvernn's warning lights lit up and the alarm began screaming as all of the enemy fighters gained a lock.

On the Bridge of the Nirvana the crew was watching in fearful silence as Jay continued to fight against the enemy "Schuld 10 was just shot down. This...this isn't possible. His maneuvering is inhuman" Schuld 5 yelled as Jay raced towards the fighters pursuing Gascogne.

Every few seconds Jay's cockpit camera would reactivate showing his face before fading back to static, every time his screen appeared the crew froze and the sight of the evil, dark expression Jay had, his eyes begged for more destruction his face demanding the complete annihilation of his enemies. _"What's happening to him?"_ Meia thought seeing the look in Jay's eyes _"This isn't him. Please someone stop this"_. She was on the verge of tears and her friends could feel it.

Out in space Jay continued to evade every incoming missile from the enemy fighters as well as the gunfire and make near misses from his own attacks. "Dammit. How could one pilot push us back this much" Schuld 4 yelled after barely evading a missile. "He can't be human. No man could fly like that" Schuld 2 screamed after launching a counter measure flare to force a missile away form him.

"Those...those stories were true. He really is a monster. The Holy Knight of Gelinkos" Schuld 4 said his voice consumed by fear. "Get a hold of yourself Schuld 4 even monsters can die" Schuld 1 said as he fired another missile that grazed the Wyvernn's right wing. With the Wyvernn's right wing damaged the ship was now off balance. "He's faltering take him out" Schuld 5 ordered as he saw the Wyvernn begin stumbling around.

The four remaining pilots released a barrage of missiles and gunfire convinced that they had the battle won. With the Wyvernn tilting to the right Jay threw the flight stick forward causing the fighter to do a lop-sided nosedive evading the missiles. "Damn him" Schuld 5 yelled as he turned to get another lock. Pulling himself out of the dive Jay flew sideways to alleviate the pressure of his Wyvernn and closed in on Schuld 2.

"Head's up Schuld 2 he's on you tail" Schuld 5 warned as the silver fighter got closer and closer. Launching two missiles at the Widow Schuld 2 panicked and launched a second counter measure to distract the missiles while he turned away. Quickly following his turn Jay switched to his special weapons and fired four X-class missiles at close range. The missiles immediately separated into seven smaller missiles which swarmed and destroyed Schuld 2.

"How can he maneuver like that" Schuld 5 yelled after Schuld 2 erupted in flames. "He's not human. He...he can't be" Schuld 4 screamed just before getting shot down. "Captain requesting orders to retreat" Schuld 5 yelled as he turned away from the Wyvernn. "Negative our orders are to destroy the Wyvernns, besides he's got to be low on ammunition by now" Schuld 1's dark voice said as he closed in on Jay.

A second screen appeared in the Nirvana's bridge "Hangar team here repairs complete we can launch fighters now". "All pilots scramble now" BC yelled in her commanding tone. Every pilot on the Nirvana raced towards the hangar to defend the ship. Barnette turned to run toward the hangar, but stopped when she saw Meia still frozen "Hey Meia are you coming?" she asked placing a hand on her shoulder. Meia lowered her head slowly and didn't respond "Meia what's wrong?" Barnette looked at the side of Meia's face and saw the expression of fear. Sensing what was bothering her Barnette turned her around and led her back to her room while the pilots began launching.

"Captain the enemy ship is launching reinforcements we have to retreat" Schuld 5 said as the dreads began launching. "Retreat Schuld 5 we've lost this battle" Schuld 1 said his voice still shrouded with a dark tone. The two Widows turned to retreat from the battle with Jay still following them "I'll see you burn" he growled in an evil voice before firing his remaining missiles and holding down the trigger of his machine gun destroying both fighters.

Breathing heavily Jay turned the Wyvernn around and returned to the Nirvana. After docking in the hangar Jay jumped from his Wyvernn and bolted from the hangar, heading straight for the Infirmary.


	6. A Long Goodbye

In the emergency room the lights were dimmed and Duelo was making his last entry into his daily medical log before heading back to his room for the night. After turning off the computer he switched off the lights and looked over to Jay who was still standing over Kira's bed he hadn't moved since they managed to stabilize her condition, that was six hours ago.

"You should try and get some sleep" Duelo said in his calm, cool tone. Not so much as moving his eyes Jay continued to stare at Kira as she slept keeping his determined expression he slowly turned his head to the ECG monitoring her heart beats "I will" he said calmly as he waved his hand for Duelo to leave. After the door closed behind Duelo, Jay quickly spun around and punched the steel wall of the room.

"I'll see Tarak burn for this" he muttered angrily to himself. Feeling a gentle hand on his shoulder he looked behind him to see Meia, quickly calming himself Jay took a short breath before facing her "Sorry. I had to get that off my chest". With the images of Jay's bloodlust still very fresh in her mind Meia quickly wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry Meia" Jay whispered gently wrapping his arms around her "I'm scared".

Meia didn't speak she continued to hold onto him as they stood in the darkened room her eyes kept tightly shut, her face showed she was afraid to open them. After what must have been an hour Jay finally let go of her and looked at the closed door then back to Meia "Let's go" he said quietly as he made one last check on Kira's condition before walking out of the room with Meia next to him.

After a few minutes of walking through the halls Jay noticed that Meia had been avoiding eye contact with him, stopping at the end of the hall Jay looked around to make sure they were alone before looking to Meia "Is something bothering you?" he asked her. Just as she had been Meia avoided eye contact with him; she opened her mouth slightly, but quickly shut it and looked away. Jay sadly realized what was bothering her "Meia…." He couldn't find the words to say to her not after realizing that she was afraid to look at him after the way she saw his eyes in battle…this couldn't possibly be the gentle man she fell in love with.

"I'm sorry Meia" he said giving her a small hug before walking away quietly. Deciding it'd be best if he tried to get some sleep himself Jay returned to his room in the prison area of the ship making a small glance into Kira's room he jumped when he saw Kira sitting on her bed. Blinking his eyes he realized that it was his imagination no one was there "I'm more tired that I thought" he admitted quietly as he lied face down on his bed and closed his eyes.

"_Jay"_ Kira's voice called. _"Time to wake up"_ she said almost in a motherly tone. Opening his eyes Jay looked around and saw no one "I have to find a way to clear my mind" he said getting to his feet and heading for the shower. Watching from down the hall Barnette saw Jay enter the shower room and her heart dropped, throughout their stay on board the Nirvana Barnette had really enjoyed Jay and Kira's company. It wasn't just Barnette the entire crew seemed to die a little after Kira's injury.

Down in Reg central Dita and Misty were watching Hibiki play poker with Gascogne again "All right Kid what'd ya got?" Gascogne asked after shifting the stick in her mouth to the other side. "Huh? Oh right let's see I got a full house". Gascogne looked at the Full house Hibiki laid on the table and sighed "Four of a kind you lose" she said. "Looks like it" Hibiki said quietly completely unaffected by his loss.

"Mr. Alien are you feeling all right?" Dita asked after Gascogne dealed out another hand. "I feel fine, just bored" he replied taking up the cards and staring mindlessly at them. "You do look a little sick" Misty added before placing her hand to his forehead. "Cut it out. It's nothing, like I said I'm just a bit bored" He said calmly, but his tone said otherwise.

On the Bridge everything was quiet, even the usually cheerful captain was having a hard time finding a smile. BC let out a hard sigh "Who could've guessed that a single person could affect the entire crew this way". Captain Magno looked down at her sub-ordinate "It's not as unusual as you might think BC. Kira isn't that different from you, Dita or even Hibiki". A little confused BC gazed at her captain trying to figure out what she meant "Basically what I'm saying is, when someone like you makes such an impact on other people whether good or bad it stays with them and so does that person, and when they pass its as if you lose part of yourself as well".

"I see what you mean" BC said as she looked over to Ezra who was gently rocking her baby in her arms "I pray she'll be ok, it's the least I can do for her".

Down in the men's shower room Jay stared at himself in the steam covered mirror gazing into his own eyes "I still can't get my mind off her" he muttered before throwing a white shirt on. After straightening his hair Jay reached into the pocket of his winter camo jeans and pulled out a small white packet of what looked like a ground up leaf "At the very least this should keep me focused".

Entering the cafeteria Jay walked to the kitchen and began boiling water and placed the packet in the water and mixed it with some tea. After stirring it Jay stared aimlessly into the boiling water unaware that Barnette was behind him "You know they say a watched pot never boils" she said trying to sound upbeat. Jay managed a small smile "Yea, but if this stuff isn't watched it's ruined"

After a minute Jay took the pot from the stove and poured it into a cup then placed the pot next to the sink "Yasu" he said before taking a large gulp of the herbal drink and setting it down. "And now we sit" he said pulling himself onto the counter top and sitting as if waiting for something. "What is that?" Barnette asked after getting a whiff of the sweet aroma coming from the drink. "It's an herbal tea specially made on Gelinkos. It's got a sweet smell, and it helps you to focus. Only side effect of it is brief dizziness after you drink it" Jay said before jumping off the counter.

Saying that she could use something like that Barnette reached for the cup, but Jay grabbed her arm "I wouldn't drink that" he said before pouring the remaining bit from the glass and pot down the sink. "Why does it taste bad?" Barnette asked as Jay began thoroughly cleaning the pot and cup. "No it tastes fine, it's just that the plant it's made from is extremely toxic, so if you weren't born on Gelinkos it'll kill you".

Reaching his arm up to place the glass back into the cabinet Jay gasped and dropped the cup which shattered against the floor. "Jay?" Barnette said after seeing his face, he looked like he saw a ghost. Shaking his head Jay looked over to her "And apparently side effects include hallucinations" he said patting her on the shoulder as he walked by. Watching sadly as Jay left her in the kitchen Barnette's heart dropped once again, she remembered what happened the last time Kira was injured and the way Jay reacted. "Be strong Jay" she said under her breath as the door closed behind him.

Turning a corner in the hall Jay saw Jura talking to Meia they both seemed really concerned "Well what do you think her chances are?" Jura asked as she folded her arms just below her breasts. "I'm not sure, but I hope she'll…" Meia froze when she saw Jay walking towards them and the memory of the evil look in his eyes flooded back to her. "Hey" he said quietly stopping next to Meia.

Seeing the look in Jay's eyes Jura gave a small smile "I'll leave the two of you alone take care" she said before walking past them. After Jura left Jay looked over to Meia who was still avoiding eye contact with him "Meia I…" Jay stopped and took a slow breath he still didn't know what to say to her, after the way she saw him she was terrified. As Jay continued struggling to find the right words he felt a painful tug in his heart, just as Meia began to walk away Jay blurted out "Meia I need you".

Stopping in mid step Meia felt her chest tighten, "I…I need you to help me through this. I can't do it alone" he continued reaching his arm out and placing it on her shoulder. Feeling his hand on her shoulder Meia recalled her promise to Kira two months ago _"If something happens to me. I want you to be there for him, he's going to need someone to lean on. Promise me you'll be there to help him"._ Just as Jay began withdrawing his hand from her shoulder Meia spun around and embraced him, and for those few minutes time stopped for both of them.

"I'm scared" he said as a single tear formed in his eye. Pulling herself closer to him Meia looked into his eyes at last "I'm here for you" she said before kissing him. After pulling away from each other Meia finally saw the gentle gaze in his eyes and smiled. Looking down the hall Jay saw Kira once again, but immediately shook his head and she was gone.

"Thank you Meia" he said before releasing her and walking towards the elevator alone. Entering the hangar Jay looked over to Kira's Wyvernn which was still badly damaged and then to his own fighter "At the very least you two will survive" he said to the ships before grabbing a tool bag and walking over to the crystal white Wyvernn. After a while Jay had restored the outer armor he climbed into the cockpit of the fighter and opened the command console. After reconnecting a wire to the radio Jay sighed "I know you're just my imagination, but why am I seeing you" he said before pulling his arms out of the console and looking behind him. Behind him on the edge of the cockpit sat another ghost of Kira which smiled at him _"Your imagining me, so you tell me why"_.

Jay shrugged his shoulders and went back to work; even if it was just an image of her Jay would never show Kira how scared he was. _"Stop acting so tough around me"_ Kira's ghost said after Jay continued his work. "What do you mean?" he asked after replacing the panel. _"I don't know why it's so important to you that I see you as bulletproof, but you can't do this forever. Whatever it is your afraid of you need to let it go"_.

Rubbing his thumb across a minor electrical burn on his right hand Jay looked over to her and said "I can't lose you". The ghost faded without speaking causing Jay to yell "No" and reach his hand out expecting to catch her, but then he remembered there was never anyone there. Balling his hand into a fist he bit his lip to hold back his pain "You won't die…I'll figure something out".

Back in the infirmary Duelo was checking Kira's internal condition on the big monitor at the back of the room, the subtle sound of the ECG machine and the clicking of the keyboard were the only sounds in the room. His visible eye narrowed when he saw what caused Kira to pass out _"That would explain a lot"_ he thought as he made a quick glance at Kira who was still unconscious on the bed behind him.

Hearing the med-bay door slide open Duelo turned around in his chair to meet Meia's eyes "How is she?" she asked looking at the monitor then to Kira. "She hasn't got long. As far as I can tell its heart failure, but it seems to be something more". Meia's heart stopped after hearing that, she knew what would happen if Kira died; Jay would be devastated "Isn't there anything you can do?" she asked the doctor in a panicked voice. "No. As much as I hate it there's nothing I can do this time, eventually she will die".

"Apparently she's had this problem for sometime. I'm not sure if she was aware of it otherwise she would've told someone" Duelo continued before turning his chair back towards the monitor. _"Did you know this would happen? Is that why you asked me to be there for him?"_ Meia thought looking over at Kira. _"What should I do?"_

Somehow news of Kira's condition spread throughout the ship and everyone began paying their respects to her as Duelo announced that she probably won't survive through the night. Jay however was being kept in the dark, no one told him about Kira's condition. Still in the hangar now fixing his own ship Jay looked over his shoulder to the ghost he was imagining "Any thoughts on how I can get you to go away? The whole close my eyes and imagine you away thing isn't working" he said twirling a pair of wire cutters through his fingers.

"_I'm here because you want me here. Until you find out why I'm gonna stay here"_ the ghost said to him as she looked at the silver fighter assessing the damage. "For the love of god I'm talking to the ghost of my friend who isn't even dead"…Jay looked at Kira then to the hangar doors and thought for a second and then a sharp pulse raced through his mind. "Dammit" he yelled jumping down from his fighter and bolting from the hangar.

Running out of the elevator Jay slid around the corner leading to Med-bay and he froze when he saw Dita in tears outside the door, Barnette was next to her trying to comfort her. Without speaking he sprinted past them and through the med-bay doors and stopped at Kira's bed side "Kira please stay with me" he said grabbing her hand completely unaware of the people watching form outside the room. "I need you, I can't do all of this alone"

As tears began forming in his eyes Jay looked over that the ECG machine on the other side of the bed and saw that Kira's time was running out. "I know why I've been imagining you following me everywhere. I…It's because I'm afraid to let you go. I'm afraid to say good-bye". Slowly his voice began breaking as he held Kira's hand tighter "I can't keep going without you" Just as the ECG bordered on a flat line Jay leaned over and kissed her "Don't leave me" he cried quietly as the ECG machine flat lined.

Outside Dita began crying loudly as Barnette and Jura wrapped their arms around her, Misty was holding on to Hibiki's arm which he didn't seem to notice and Meia was fighting back her own pain. Dropping to his knees Jay began crying his best friend, no his sister was gone. Kneeling next to him Meia grabbed hold of Jay and hugged him, keeping her promise to Kira she would always be there for him.

Helping Jay to his feet Meia walked with him to the doors, behind them just as Duelo reached over to turn off the ECG it started beeping slowly and then it began to pick up into a steady stream. Hearing the machine once again Jay looked over his shoulder to see Kira had begun breathing, slowly, but surely she was breathing. Tearing away form Meia he jumped back to the bedside and watched as Duelo began checking her with his pulse meter.

As the doctor looked up a small smile crept across his face "She's going to be fine" he said. Feeling the biggest relief of his life Jay couldn't help, but grab Meia and hug her "She's all right" he gasped through his tears "She's all right". Everyone in the hall and the doorway were sharing his reaction, crying happily at the miracle that had happened before their eyes.

Through the rest of the evening Kira's vitals were slowly improving, and Jay began to regain his energy; staying next to her even well after midnight Jay watched over her to make sure she stayed on course and Meia stayed by his side throughout the night "You know I've never been scared of the future before" Jay said as he sat in a chair next to Kira's bed. Meia looked over to him and smiled gently as she sat next to him "But then I realized that the future isn't worth it unless I have both of you by my side" he continued before leaning his head on her shoulder and wrapping his arm around her.

"I could say the same about you" Meia said before closing her eyes and drifting to sleep.


	7. Wait for Me

1 week ago a Tarak fleet launched a surprise attack on the Nirvana crippling the ship. During the attack the Nirvana's hangar and engine's were severely damaged and out of commission. Jay and Kira were the only two pilots that managed to take off to defend the ship. During the battle Kira was shot down, but managed to escape before her cockpit burst into flames. After mercilessly chasing down and destroying each pilot from the three elite Tarak squadrons Jay waited in fear for the Nirvana's hangar to be repaired so he could return to the ship.

3 Days after the attack Kira was at death's door. While she laid in the infirmary slowly losing her grip on life the entire crew fell into despair. Throughout the day Jay had been imagining that Kira was following him around the ship, but he soon realized that he was seeing this "ghost" because he was afraid of accepting the fact that Kira might die.

The next day Jay forced himself to realize this and returned to the infirmary only to find Kira bordering on death. Kneeling at her bedside and taking her hand he pleaded for her to live for he would not be able to continue his life without her by his side. After Kira's vitals flat-lined his heart fell into a dark abyss he had lost his sister…his last family member.

Just as Meia began helping him out of the room the impossible happened. Kira's heart began beating again. Her vitals slowly returned to normal, her lungs were once again sending breath through her body, Kira survived. Witnessing this miracle right before their eyes the crew of the Nirvana shed tears of joy that Kira would be continuing with them on their journey.

Three days have passed since then; Kira finally awoke although she didn't have the physical strength to work much less pilot her Wyvernn, but everyone was just happy that she was alive. Every morning since that day Jay had checked on her to make sure she was all right before he started his work in the hangar. After finishing a quick visit with her Jay swiftly returned to the hangar with a smile on his face, one he thought he had lost.

Once in the hangar he began making the final repairs to his Wyvernn, once he opened the cover to his missile bay he crossed the cooling wire with the charge fuse on a whim and the resulting shock threw him back several yards. "Aaahhhh" he yelled as he flew back into the wall, after a few seconds he regained his mind and realized what happened before mentally cursing himself and then kicking up from the ground. From across the hangar Dita and Barnette saw what happened and rushed over to make sure he was all right.

"I'm fine" he said to them after they asked him if he was ok "And what is that" he said angrily and nodding his head towards their Dreads. "What?" Dita asked as her and Barnette looked in the direction he nodded. Right when the two looked away from him Jay shook his hands in front of him silently yelling in pain. "What is what?" Dita asked turning her attention back to Jay the second he lowered his arms. "Nothing" he said swiftly walking past them and back to his ship.

"_Bad move Masterson"_ he mentally yelled at himself before cautiously returning the cooling wire and charge fuse to their original positions and closing the cover of the missile bay. Climbing into the cockpit he powered up his ship and began a systems check to make sure he didn't damage anything internally. Waiting in silence as the system analysis finished he gave a sigh of relief that nothing had been damaged from his little stunt. "I'm gonna get myself killed with stuff like this" he whined before powering his fighter down and walking out of the hangar.

Walking down the hallway and heading towards the infirmary to check his hands a strange thought crossed his mind. Stopping in mid step he tilted his head up and stared mindlessly at the dim ceiling lights clearly lost in thought. Feeling someone shaking his shoulder he snapped out of his trance and looked behind him to see Misty "Hi" he said in a hyped, yet casual tone.

"The captain wants to talk to you" she said to him while running her hand over her dark blue hair. "Awesome" he said in his normal tone "I'll go see her once I make sure I don't have any nerve damage in my hands" on that note Jay continued on his way to the infirmary.

After stepping off the elevator Jay made a quick turn at the corner and entered the infirmary "I'm back baby" he said as the door slid open. Looking up from the book she was reading Kira greeted him she had made good progress in her recovery, but she still couldn't move around too much. "What's the word?" she asked him as he walked over to the medical shelf and grabbed a couple of bottles. "Shock" he said wetting a rag and then dabbing it in foul smelling liquid before rubbing it on his hand "I hate this stuff" he muttered while slowly rubbing his hand.

Watching as he treated his hand Kira closed her book and slowly got out of bed. Watching her from the mirror Jay stopped rubbing his hand and dropped the rag in the sink before turning around "Need something?" he asked walking over to her. "Just need some water is all" she said using the railing of the bed for support and then the wall. "Lie down and let me get it" he said to her as he walked to the back of the room and retrieved a bottle of water from the small cooler in the corner.

After he handed her the bottle he walked her back to the bed and sat her down before returning to the sink to check his hand. "I have to gain some independence if I'm going to recover Jay" Kira said after taking a sip from the bottle. Jay kept his eyes on his hand and said "True, but while I'm with you, I'm going to take care of you. That's all there is to it".

Lowering her head to conceal her loving smile Kira recalled a time when Jay was merely 9 years old he had fractured his right leg while playing a game of football with his friends, after he had stopped crying he continued to try and walk on his own, but Kira forced him to rest while she took care of him and they both said the same words they just said to one another.

"You know what I just remembered" Jay said looking up from the sink. Waiting for Kira to raise her head he continued "Back when I was 9 and I fractured my leg after making that touchdown in a football game. I was crying for hours because of the pain, and when I finally stopped I immediately tried walking on my own, but you kept me in bed the whole time". Kira gave a weak laugh as the memory once again played in her mind. Jay washed his hands off and turned around before speaking again "I said I need to gain some independence or I won't recover. And then you said while I'm around, I'm going to take care of you. That's all there is to it".

After Jay sat in the chair next to her she looked at him and smiled "I've always been taking care of you. I guess it was only a matter of time before it turned around on me". Jay laughed and quickly said "I wouldn't say always, I mean I've managed to do a lot on my own". Kira quickly cut him off "And who taught you how to survive and keep your head in desperate times?" Realizing that he had already lost this conversation he resigned his argument and moved on "One week left until the Emerald's Edge finds us" he said in a sad voice.

Kira nodded her head "Yea. I can't believe it. It feels like just a couple of weeks ago we found the Nirvana and joined this crew". Jay began recalling all the events that happened since he and Kira arrived on the Nirvana his mind stopped when he remembered telling Meia how he felt about her before jumping to telling her and then Kira his decision to remain on the Nirvana. Every time he thought about it he felt a small tug in his heart and he knew why, even though it was his choice it was going to be hard not having Kira with him anymore.

The two of them spent the next few hours talking about the past and the things they've done together along with Hideki. Behind them the door slid open and BC was standing there with her hand against her hip she had her "Stern Commander look". Looking over to Jay she said "The captain wanted to see you four hours ago". Looking up at the clock on the wall Jay gave a defeated smile before looking back at Kira "Don't worry go ahead, I'm starting to get pretty tired" she yawned before laying down.

Nodding silently he got up and followed BC out of the infirmary and down the hall. "I'm real sorry" he said without looking at BC. "There's nothing to apologize for Jay" she said as the elevator doors opened and they stepped on "I know it must be hard to want to leave her side after what happened". After the doors closed behind them Jay looked at BC and asked "Have you ever lost someone important Buzam?"

Waiting a few seconds before answering the sub-commander sighed and said "Yes. A few years before I joined the Nirvana I was swimming with my friend Traci and a riptide came in and pulled her out to sea. I tried to swim after her, but I couldn't catch up to her they found her body a few days later washed up on the shore". Jay didn't say anything he just nodded and remained silent until the elevator arrived at the Bridge level of the ship.

Following BC to the briefing room he sat down across from Magno and asked her why she wanted to see him. "Jay we've received another message from your ship. They've managed to speed up their trip so they plan to intercept with us in a few days". Jay leaned back in his chair and thought about what he just heard "Anything else?" The captain looked over to BC and then back to Jay "We've spotted a large signature on the long range radar you installed in the Nirvana's tracking systems. Its I.D. signature matches that of the Sorcerer". Jay froze after hearing that, he knew he would have to face the Sorcerer eventually, but he didn't expect it to be this soon. "What's it doing right now?" he asked them leaning forward and against the table.

BC pressed a button on the table top and showed him a holographic map of the radar and pointed out the Nirvana and the Sorcerer in the far side of the Radar "Right now it's just sitting there, but we think they may have already detected us so we've made plans to change course and turn around". Jay ran his hand through his shoulder-length white hair and thought for a moment "If we change course now we'll have to inform O'Brian on the Emerald's Edge so he can recalculate an intercept course. Add to it that we have to prepare for a possible battle, but it's our safest option. With Kira not being cleared for battle we can't form the ArchAngel and I don't think the Vandreads can stand up to that monster".

BC nodded and pointed out one last thing "The most serious part is that for us to turn around we have to slow down and go through an asteroid field nearby to avoid detection. If we power up the ship and use a quick escape they'll definitely know we're here". Jay studied the radar carefully for a few minutes before making a decision "We're going to go through the asteroid field. It's within their radar coverage, but if we keep power output down we have a chance of avoiding detection".

Fanning herself captain Magno asked "And if they should detect us before we can escape?" Jay looked over to her and his eyes told her his answer "Then I'll buy you as much time as I can". Seeing the determination and fear in his eyes both the captain and BC knew they wouldn't be able to stop him so they began to go over the strategy if they were detected.

On the bridge the bunnies were awaiting orders from BC while staring at the radar for any changes on the Sorcerer. Behind them Meia, Jura and Dita were watching the radar in anticipation praying that they wouldn't have to fight the monster Tarak had in their control. "This sure is scary just waiting here for the unknown" Jura said in a calm voice. "We just have to stay confident that we can maneuver through their radar without detection. Once we clear a few miles into the asteroids we'll be safe" Meia told her just before the captain entered the bridge along with BC and Jay.

Taking her position next to the captain BC donned her commander voice and said "Get Engineering on screen now". "Yes commander" Aramone said bringing up a screen to Parfet. "Parfet here. Do we have a plan yet?" the lead engineer asked, she was clearly shaking over what could happen if the Sorcerer attacked them. "Reroute enough power to the secondary engines to get us through the asteroid field. After that reduce all power output for the rest of the ship except for you, the bridge and the hangar to zero" BC ordered before making a quick glance at Jay.

Jay nodded at her as she looked over to him and stepped forward taking over the ship's PA system. "Listen up. We're going to be reducing all power to the ship except the Bridge, engineering and the hangar to zero to slip through a Tarak supply space undetected. On the chance they detect us I'll be taking off to provide cover while Parfet and her team restore power to get the Nirvana clear of the field. Once outside you should be able to get far enough away before they follow after you, I'll be right behind you once I take care of any enemies that may show up".

Turning control of the loud speakers over to BC he stepped back and looked over to the three pilots behind him and quickly looked back to the radar keeping his eyes on the Sorcerer's radar blip.

"In five minutes engineering will be shutting down all power to the ship except for the designated sections. Make sure all of you have made proper preparations, if all goes well we'll be without primary power for an hour at most. That is all".

Looking up to BC and captain Magno Jay gave them a confident smile and said "I'm going to head for the hangar just in case we're spotted. Good luck on your end". After turning around and leaving the bridge he broke into a run and quickly entered the elevator as two guards got off. After the doors closed behind him he pressed the button that would take him to the infirmary, he had to tell Kira the truth in case the worst happened.

Getting off the elevator and running over to the infirmary, he quickly caught his breath before stepping in and walking over to Kira who had a fearful look on her face. Standing next to her bedside he look into her eyes and gave her a reassuring smile "At best it's a 50/50 shot that we won't be detected, but even if we are I can handle a few fighters while the rest of you get away so don't worry I'll take care of them and be right behind you".

Kira stared into Jay's eyes before slowly raising her hand and lightly slapping him on the face "I know your lying Jay" she said in a fearful voice "It's the Sorcerer isn't it?" Jay looked at the floor before confirming what Kira knew to be true "It doesn't matter if it is they won't be able to keep me from getting away" he said placing his hand on her shoulder.

Kira quickly slapped his hand away from her "This isn't a time to be cocky Jay. The Sorcerer is the single most dangerous machine our world has ever produced; this is the one time that it will be the machine and not the man behind it. Even your skill as a pilot won't hold out against that thing for long". Before Jay could respond Kira pulled him into the tightest hug she could muster "Just promise me you'll be careful and that you'll pull out if it gets too much" she begged.

Jay wrapped his arms around her and whispered to her "I will, just wait for me". Letting go of him Kira laid back down and watched in worry as Jay walked out of the infirmary. Stopping at the door he made one last look over to Kira and said "Hier geht nichts". Waiting for the door to close behind him he turned to head for the elevator and said "Please don't try to stop me".

Walking after him Meia caught up and began walking by his side "I have to try, she's right Jay this is too dangerous even for you". Continuing forward without looking at her Jay said "Maybe so, but I have to do it. No one else can". "Then let me go out with you, you'll stand a better chance of surviving if I'm with you" Meia pleaded. After summoning the elevator Jay turned his head to her and saw the fear in her eyes "Sorry Meia, but I have to do this alone. If you go out there with me you'll be shot down and I won't allow that to happen".

"If your going out there then so am I" Meia said as the doors opened and they both stepped onto the elevator. Pressing the speaker button on the elevator he gave the bridge the go ahead to start the countdown as he selected hangar level of the ship. After he turned off the speaker Meia pleaded with him once more "Please don't go I don't want to lose you as well".

As the elevator doors opened Jay quickly stepped out and swiftly walked towards the hangar. Once inside he leaned against the wall and waited he prayed they wouldn't be detected he knew if he fought the Sorcerer he would lose, but he was the only one who could keep it away from the Nirvana. Part of him however wanted to fight it, he wanted to take it on and destroy it, maybe he wanted to do it to intimidate the Tarak officials or maybe he had something to prove to Kira and Meia.

Whatever the reason he dismissed it from his mind and waited as the power to the ship slowly began dropping to zero deck by deck. As the lights to the hangar bay dimmed Jay exhaled slowly as the ship began making its slow approach towards the asteroid field. "Hier geht nichts" he said as the ship slowly rocked upon the start of its secondary engines.

"What does that mean?" Meia asked standing next to him in the dimming light. Jay looked over to his Wyvernn before he answered "Here goes nothing". On the bridge everyone was tense as Bart slowly navigated the ship through the enemy's territory "Man this would be hard enough, but the fact that I can't see that well makes it twice as scary" the helmsman said as he began turning the ship.

"I have to agree with him" Belvedere said taking her eyes off the radar to breathe "This is easily the scariest thing we've done". BC looked over to the bridge bunny and said "I won't argue with you, even I'm worried about this one".

Throughout the ship the crew had stopped their work and waited in tense silence, worried and scared at what might happen. Only a handful of the crew actually knew what was outside the ship, but they were keeping it quiet to avoid unnecessary worrying or a possible panic. Back in the hangar Jay kept his eyes closed as he leaned his back against the wall, Meia next to him tried to remain calm, but couldn't knowing full well that if something went wrong Jay wouldn't hesitate to take off to defend the ship alone.

40 minutes had passed since the Nirvana began its advance through the covered area just 20 more minutes and they would be free and clear. Just as the Nirvana passed the halfway point in the asteroid field it passed over a warning flare which set it off, alerting the surrounding Tarak forces to their presence. "Damn we've been spotted" BC yelled over the speakers "Engineering get the power back on now. Jay take off immediately".

"This is it then" Jay said in a regretful tone. Meia quickly grabbed hold of his arm and tried to stop him "Please don't go Jay. There's still a chance we can get out before they catch us". Jay pulled away from her and continued towards his ship only to have Meia jump in his way. "Meia please don't do this" he said seeing the tears forming in her eyes.

"I can't let you do this Jay. I don't want to lose you" she cried grabbing hold of him. Returning her hug Jay held back his tears and whispered to her "I love you Meia". As he said that Meia felt a slight burning sensation shoot down her spine and her body stiffened, Jay had his hand on the pressure point between her shoulder and neck and was squeezing it tightly.

Carrying her over to a seat he sat her down and placed his Emerald coin in her hand before balling it into a fist "I'll come back alive. Just wait for me" he said to her before he sprinted to his fighter. Watching him as he took off and flew out to intercept the enemy she could feel her tears running down her face and her heart was tearing at the thought of him not returning.

In the cockpit of the silver Wyvernn Jay couldn't hold back his tears anymore he knew that his chances of survival were slim if the Sorcerer was going to be his opponent.

Flying head on against the enemy fighters he quickly shot them down and made contact with the Nirvana "I'll keep them busy while you escape I'll be right behind you once you clear the asteroids now go" he ordered before he froze in fear.

Far ahead of him the dark-green fighter began moving its majestic black wings extended slightly as it began flying out to meet Jay. The eagle emblem on its chest had been replaced by the emblem of the Tarak military...the Sorcerer had awakened.

"Kira, Meia. I'll come back alive…I swear it" Jay muttered to himself as he pushed forward to intercept his opponent.

* * *

**A/N.** Well I hope a month's wait has been worth it. I put a lot of thought into this one and went through several 'drafts' to end up with this. So I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it

Hier geht nichts is German for "Here goes nothing". I'm not 100% on that, but I'm pretty sure that is the proper translation.

I'm taking all bets who will win Jay or the Sorcerer.


	8. Conviction

Checking his radar to measure the distance between himself the Nirvana and the Sorcerer Jay took a deep breath as he flipped the weapon safety switch off. Turning off his radio and cabin camera he closed his eyes and took another slow breath before his eyes shot open and he threw the thrust lever forward speeding forward to the monster ahead of him.

"I will survive" Jay said to himself as he fired a single missile at his target quickly banking away after it was launched.

After the missile impacted the Sorcerer slowly stopped its advance and the entire machine began radiating a dark and intimidating light. Jay quickly turned his radio back on and ordered the Nirvana to begin evasive maneuvers.

On the Nirvana's bridge BC yelled at Bart to turn the ship, to avoid the incoming attack from the massive enemy far behind them. "On it" Bart yelled fearfully as his own screen showed the Sorcerer aiming its Rail gun at the Nirvana.

After the Rail gun fired the super heated bolt flew through space grazing the side of the Nirvana's hull immediately melting away its outer armor. "Keep going I'll keep him busy" Jay yelled circling behind the Sorcerer and firing one of his burst bombs at the monster's back.

The doors to the bridge opened and Kira painfully pushed herself along the wall trying to remain on her feet "How's he doing?" she asked slowly pushing away from the wall to a standing position. "The battle just started, we'll be out of their range in less than 20 minutes" BC said looking back to the screen that showed the Sorcerer and the Wyvernn.

Out in space the Sorcerer finally turned its attention on Jay and drew its massive electro magnetic sword. "Come on" Jay yelled as he fired two X-class missiles at the massive dark green machine. Even after the two missiles separated into several smaller ones and detonated on the Sorcerer's surface it's seemed completely unphased.

Jay gritted his teeth after narrowly avoiding the shockwave from the Sorcerer's sword "This is going to be a lot harder than I thought" he muttered before he circled around to attack again.

Back on the Nirvana Meia had finally recovered from her paralysis and made her way to the bridge to watch the battle. "Come on" she heard Jay yell as he fired another missile before evading the sword and its electro magnetic shockwave.

The battle outside waged for several minutes before the Sorcerer managed to score a grazing hit against the Wyvernn. "Damn" Jay yelled after the bolt grazed the edge of his left wing. Keeping his balance Jay swung the Wyvernn around and fired the second and last Burst bomb at the Sorcerer's sword hand.

After the bomb impacted the monster's hand and engulfed its lower arm in a dark blue energy field the Sorcerer lifted its arm up showing it was completely unharmed. Jay quickly pulled out of his dive avoiding another narrow miss from the Sorcerer's Rail gun "You've got to have a weakness somewhere" he said to himself after evading the super-heated bolt.

Jay's radio began beeped signaling an incoming message from the Sorcerer.

Flipping his radio switch Jay's eyes widened in anger at the sight of who was piloting the Sorcerer…Sean Angel.

"Well well it seems we've finally meet again little J.J." he said with a smug look on his face. "Why are you? How did you?" Jay was too confused and too angry to form a simple question the last time he had seen Sean was on an abandoned Mission station where he helped them fight off a harvest attack fleet.

"Hmm. Confused there J.J.? I'll tell you what you need to know" Sean said with the same smug look "I've been a Tarak spy the entire time sending information back to Tarak and biding my time until I received the order to leave. I have to say I couldn't have been happier once that order came and I got to leave all of you behind, all that men and women can live in peace talk was too annoying for me. I was even happier when they got me off the Mission station and away from that annoying little girl and her family"

Jay's grip on his flight stick tightened "What happened to them?" he asked angrily.

Sean smiled peacefully before his expression changed to madness "I killed every one of them, in one blast" he laughed raising the Sorcerer's shoulder-mounted cannon.

Jay as well as everyone on the Nirvana was shocked by what Sean just admitted to, he killed six people one of which was a girl no older than nine. Jay's mind was flooded with the clear images of the little girl and her mother before Sean's voice snapped him out of it "Now Jay Masterson let's see which of us is the better pilot".

Jay's eyes flared with rage before he quickly evaded the Sorcerer's sword and fired several missiles at its breastplate causing no visible damage. "I bet you're gonna say something like I'll see you burn for you sins or I'll make you pay for what you've done aren't you?" Sean asked him after the missiles harmlessly impacted the Sorcerer's armor.

"Wrong" Jay said calmly before his screen appeared in both the Sorcerer's cockpit and the bridge of the Nirvana, his expression was completely calm his eyes showed regret, but behind that look was a look of tranquility "I'm not going to saw anything. Words are pointless at this time". Jay's voice and expression quickly changed to anger and the same bloodlust that scared the crew of the Nirvana filled his eyes once again "If all you know is Violence then I'll show you violence" he yelled.

Slamming his fist against the special weapons switch Jay fired several hundred rounds form his fighter's machine gun and a single bomb that impacted the Sorcerer's shoulder armor. The bullets managed to dent the armor of their target, but did not damage the ship itself, while the bomb covered the shoulder with an acidic agent that barely managed to eat away at its thick armor.

"Not a bad attempt Jay, but now it's my turn" Sean yelled eagerly as he activated the Sorcerer's SFE defense system. Jay didn't have time to stop it he had already launched three X-class missiles at the Sorcerer and its Static Field Emission system scrambled their targeting sensors, one was disabled while the other two mistook the Wyvernn for their target and sped towards it.

Jay weaved in and out of the barrage of missiles spawned from the two haywire ones he launched, but was hit and his fighter severely damaged. "Warning" the cabin's female computerized voice said "damage at 76% Warning".

On the Nirvana Kira's heart began racing after seeing the damage Jay's fighter took "Jay" she said weakly before her vision began blurring and her breath began becoming shallow and faint. Kira opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come out she tried to step forward, but her legs wouldn't move. Instead she fell forward as everything began spinning around her.

"Kira" BC yelled catching her just before she hit the floor. Turning Kira around in her arms BC placed her hand on the side of Kira's neck, her pulse was very weak "We need to get her back to the infirmary now" she yelled.

Barnette along with Meia and Jura took Kira back to the infirmary while BC turned her attention back to the battle far behind them. "Burn" Jay yelled launching several more missiles at the Sorcerer. The Sorcerer couldn't use its SFE system for another 20 seconds, but the missiles still didn't make any visible damage other than a few scorch marks on its armor.

"Come on Jay" Sean yelled in sadistic glee "Show me what you can do".

Before Jay could respond BC contacted him informing him that they would be out of the battle area in 5 minutes. "Keep going I'll be right behind you" Jay said after avoiding a blast from the Sorcerer's shoulder-mounted cannon.

Sean laughed manically "I care nothing for those fools let them flee while they watch me annihilate you".

Back on the Nirvana Meia, Barnette and Jura had returned to the bridge after returning Kira to the infirmary where Duelo would check her condition and look after her. "What the situation like?" Barnette asked the commander as the three pilots reentered the bridge. BC gave the three pilots a regretful look before speaking "We'll be clear of the battle zone in less than a minute, but there's no way Jay can safely follow after us, his fighter is too damaged to escape"

The three pilots froze after hearing that, Jay didn't have any chances of escape his only option to survive was to destroy the Sorcerer. Meia looked at the screen watching Jay fight for his life against Sean and the menacing Sorcerer; she could feel her heart dying each time a missile was fired.

A second screen appeared in the bridge it was a mechanic from the Hangar team "Hangar team here Kira's Wyvernn just launched all of a sudden". There was no way Kira could have made it to the hangar alone and BC knew it, she quickly contacted Duelo in the Infirmary and sure enough Kira was still unconscious in the Infirmary.

"Make contact with the Wyvernn now" BC ordered. Belvedere opened a communication line with Kira's Wyvernn, but no one answered, "Commander" Aramone gasped after checking the life support systems of the Wyvernn "The pilot's vitals aren't showing up, there's no one flying it".

"What?" BC asked checking the white Wyvernn's life support system herself. It was true there was no one in the ship it was flying itself, at top speed it headed towards the battle.

Jay looked down at his radar as BC informed him of the Wyvernn's launch, dumbfounded he watched as Kira's Wyvernn launched two X-class missiles, a Burst bomb and a single missile at the Sorcerer as it attempted to attack Jay's fighter.

After the attack run the white Wyvernn turned around and fired more missiles and bombs at the monster in front of it. Emptying all of its special weapons the Wyvernn set itself in formation behind Jay just as a strong male voice echoed in his mind _"Show him the power of your heart Jay Masterson"_.

Jay looked at the Wyvernn behind him and nodded before looking back to the Sorcerer and Sean Angel's screen "Prepare yourself Sean" he said before tilting his Wyvernn into the other causing the two ships to combine into the ArchAngel.

After the light that engulfed the two fighters faded the ArchAngel roared its battle cry as its divine wings folded around it and its crystal armor began radiating a holy light.

"Round 2" Jay yelled as the ArchAngel's wings flew back releasing a rain of white lasers down onto the Sorcerer finally causing damage to the monster. "What…What is this?" Sean yelled seeing the ArchAngel before him and the damage it caused to his machine.

"The tale of Light and Darkness is eternal now we will play our part is this ageless battle" Jay said to him before using ArchAngel's laser to destroy the Sorcerer's sword and shoulder mounted cannon in one sweep.

"Impossible" Sean yelled seeing the Sorcerer's two primary weapons destroyed in a matter of seconds "What kind of machine is that".

Without a word Jay quickly flew the ArchAngel towards the Sorcerer and used the sword on its left forearm to rip into the Sorcerer's armor before using its claws to rip the Rail cannon from its arm.

Sean quickly grabbed hold of the controls and forced himself free from Jay's grasp before flying back at top speed "You haven't won yet" he said drawing a beam rifle from behind the machines wings.

Making several quick shots at the ArchAngel scoring a direct hit with each shot Sean began laughing as he fired a massive missile from the cannon mounted behind its wings "I'm invincible you can't defeat me as long as I have the Sorcerer at my disposal".

Shaking off the shots from the beam rifle Jay used the ArchAngel's laser to destroy the incoming cruise missile and activated its thrusters to quickly circle around his opponent. "Try this" he yelled activating the ArchAngel's L3 launcher and firing a single missile before discarding the weapon and activated its RA-13 cannon firing two fragmentation missiles at the Sorcerer before discarding the weapon as well.

Bracing itself for the incoming attack the single L3 missile separated into several smaller ones all of which impacted against its damaged hull causing significant damage. The two RA-13 fragmentation missiles detonated nearby the Sorcerer and spewed magnetic shrapnel across the battlefield, which were quickly attracted towards the Sorcerer and began tearing and ripping through its armor.

Watching the battle tide turn to Jay's favor from the bridge the crew stared in awe at how quickly the ArchAngel managed to subdue the Sorcerer. "The ArchAngel's power is amazing look at the damage readings on the Sorcerer just from those last three missiles" Celtic said opening a screen that showed the damage levels of the Sorcerer.

"ArchAngel firing laser" Aramone said as the divine machine raised its right arm once again. Brilliant white light surrounded the palm of the ArchAngel before it fired its laser at the Sorcerer, but this time Sean was ready he quickly activated the chemical emission field of the Sorcerer forcing the laser beam to disperse.

"This has been fun Jay, and I'll admit you've been one hell of an opponent, but this is the end for you" he said before switching over to the Static Emission Field and directing it at the ArchAngel.

After the static field was released Jay folded the ArchAngel's wings forward shielding the machine from the electrical attack, but taking severe damage to its main systems. The control panel behind him erupted in sparks as systems throughout the fighter began shutting down "Dammit" he yelled as power levels began rapidly declining.

Jay began to panic as the ArchAngel's last systems went down _"Don't give up"_ Kira's voice said in his head. Looking beside him to where Kira would be sitting if she was with him he heard her voice telling him that there was still a way to win. Jay quickly pried open his control panel and went to work attempting to restore the ArchAngel's systems as the Sorcerer began recovering from its massive attack.

Closing the panel Jay quickly opened the next one prioritizing the systems in his head "Thrusters back online, now for the weapon systems" he said before the warning alarm went off. Quickly withdrawing himself form the control panel Jay evaded the incoming missile and went back to work crossing wires and cutting others from their main hubs "Got it" he yelled before jumping back into the pilot seat.

"Game time Sean" he yelled as the laser arm of the ArchAngel radiated the same brilliant light from before. Firing the laser at the Sorcerer Jay waited for it to use its Chemical Emission Field to negate the attack before using the ArchAngel's laser rain, causing massive damage to the Sorcerer's armor.

Sean growled as his fighter shook with violent rage after the rain of lasers ended "Damage at 34%" the male voice of the cabin monitoring system announced.

"Will you just die already" he yelled at Jay before speeding forward and slamming the Sorcerer's damaged arm against ArchAngel's head.

Kicking the Sorcerer back ArchAngel flew away and turned around after gaining enough distance between the two ships "This is the end" Jay said as ArchAngel began emitting a holy aura all around it, its armor shined with blinding light as if powered by a hundred suns. _"ArchAngel Holy mode initiated"_ the female voice of the cabin said as the light faded and the ArchAngel's armor was restored.

"Let's go" Jay yelled as the ArchAngel sped back towards the Sorcerer and used its claws to slash another gash in its chest armor.

After the attack Jay pushed the Sorcerer away and folded the divine wings of the ArchAngel forward and quickly threw them back releasing a close ranged laser rain attack devastating the Sorcerer's armor forcing many of its systems to begin failing.

Grabbing hold of the Sorcerer's arm ArchAngel pulled it back before punching its chest plate with its sword arm penetrating the armor and then ripping it to the side causing destructive damage.

"I'm not dead yet, I can still fight" Sean yelled forcing the Sorcerer to keep balance as its chest plate opened exposing its core. "If I'm going down I'm taking you out with me" he cackled maniacally as he slammed his fist against the fire button.

Seeing the dark energy charge around the core of the machine Jay realized what Sean was doing and flew towards him determined to stop the attack. Roaring as he threw the controls forward Jay used the sword arm to puncture the side of the Sorcerer's core and used its right hand to grab hold of its center.

"Burn in righteous fire" he yelled firing ArchAngel's laser into the core, causing a destructive reaction as the two energies mixed together resulting in a massive explosion that tore the Sorcerer apart form the inside.

On the Nirvana the crew watched as the Sorcerer's core imploded destroying it from the inside, but before they could celebrate the monster's destruction the dark energy of the Sorcerer's core mixed with the chemicals in the ArchAngel's laser resulting in another explosion that engulfed the entire area.

In horror the crew looked on as all traces of the ArchAngel faded from radar coverage.

Meia's entire body froze with fear as she saw Jay and the ArchAngel engulfed in lifeless flames. Dropping to her knees she could feel every fiber of her being crying out in pain, she was pleading to herself that it wasn't true, it couldn't be, he couldn't be dead.

A curtain of cold despair fell around them as the explosion died out and the debris settled…Jay was gone.

"Wait" Ezra said after seeing a faint blip on the radar…"There it is again look" she cried as the blip slowly came into full focus. "It's the ArchAngel" Celtic cheered as the ship's ID was registered.

Out in space the ArchAngel flew away from the battle zone its armor scathed, but it retained its holy aura giving the crew of the Nirvana hope in the future of their journey.

Swiftly flying through the asteroid field and catching up to the Nirvana the ArchAngel separated into the two Wyvernns and they each docked in the hangar.

Meia was the first to the hangar she ran over to Jay's Wyvernn as the cabin cover opened and waited for him to climb out. Behind her many of the crew had gathered at the front of the crowd was Hibiki and Dita who had helped the now conscious Kira out of the Infirmary. Next to them were Barnette and Jura along with Gascogne, BC and captain Magno.

In the Wyvernn Jay sat in the pilot's seat running everything that happened through his head several times. His heart was still pounding from his battle, and he knew that even though he won his journey was still far from over.

Hearing Meia's voice call out to him Jay snapped out of his train of thought and slowly climbed out of his cabin. Standing on the edge of his cockpit he looked at the crew gathered in the hangar doorway and then down to Meia who was standing just a few yards from his Wyvernn.

Smiling at her he jumped down and pulled her into a hug with his left arm. "I told you I'd come back" he whispered to her before looking up to see Kira walking over to them with Dita and Hibiki's help.

Before Kira reached him, Jay raised his right arm in victory as his left arm was wrapped around Meia's waist holding her close to him "Hail to the King baby" he said with a victorious smile.

Several scratches covered his left arm and a small cut across his forehead, but other than that Jay was unharmed. "So much for the ultimate weapon" he said shouldering Kira and walking her to the crew that gathered at the hangar doorway.

"You gave us quiet a scare out there young man" captain Magno said to him with a pleased smile. Jay looked down at the captain and then to Meia "Yeah, sorry about that".

No more than an hour removed from the suspenseful battle between the Sorcerer and Jay, the crew had already begun celebrating a massive victory, with the Sorcerer destroyed and the fighters Tarak stole from Jay and Kira's home world destroyed they began to feel like they could take on anything.

In the cafeteria everyone was celebrating even hours after the battle had ended, Jay was sitting at a lone table with Kira watching the party. "Well they all seem happy" Jay laughed as he looked over to Kira. Kira nodded "They have a right to be" pausing for a moment's thought she looked over to Jay and met his eyes "You're the best pilot I've ever seen Jay, but don't get careless and promise me you'll be careful".

Before Jay could respond Meia had walked over to them and led Jay out of the cafeteria and to the women's quarters.

Standing outside of her room Meia gave Jay a loving look before she slapped him with all of her strength. "Don't ever do that again" she half-yelled at him before hugging him "I was so scared that you wouldn't make it" she cried as he wrapped his arms around her.

Jay looked down at her and said "I'll never leave you again" before kissing her. Moving her arms up from his mid section to his neck Meia held onto him as if her life depended on it.

After she pulled away from him she led him into her room where they spent the remainder of the day together.


	9. Reunion Tour

On the bridge of the Nirvana things were quiet as another dull day continued to pass by, Ezra was gently rocking her baby Meimei in her arms, Celtic was reading a comic while Belvedere and Aramone were losing to Jay in a game of poker.

After laying down another winning hand Jay sighed "So passes another dull day". Aramone shuffled the cards while Jay began flipping his emerald coin through his fingers "What's so special about that coin?" Aramone asked him finally. Stopping his hand the coin leveled itself on Jay's center knuckles as he looked down at it "You're always flipping it through your fingers and fidgeting with it".

Jay remained silent even with the eyes of everyone in the bridge resting on him; he could feel his hand trembling subtlety. "I really don't know" he said finally "I never really thought about it too much. It doesn't hold any sentimental value to me, but I can't bring myself to part with it…Hell I can't even leave my room without it, now obviously that means that it's important to me in some way, but I just do know how or why…not yet any way"

Aramone shrugged her shoulder and began dealing out the new hands, but Ezra called over to them as she spotted a ship just at the edge of their radar coverage. Aramone returned to her operator pod while Jay jumped to his feet and stared at the radar that was now being displayed above the bridge.

After the ship entered further into their radar range they saw the all too familiar blips of a harvest fleet chasing after it. "The ship is attempting to make contact with us" Aramone announced after activating her console.

"Open a line at once" BC ordered.

A large screen overlapped the radar and showed a man in his late 30's with red hair and light brown eyes, he was yelling orders at the crew around him before turning his attention to the communication line "This is Captain O'Brian of the Emerald's Edge to the Nirvana"

Jay straightened himself and spook up and to everyone's surprise his voice and feel about him changed entirely "O'Brian what's the situation" he demanded. "Jay it's great to hear from you. We've got an entire harvest fleet after us, approximately 4 seed ships over 5 dozen special types and 2 flagships we were forced to retreat, but they're not giving up"

"How many squadrons are on standby?" Jay asked in a commanding tone. "All squadrons are waiting for the Green Light to launch and at this rate we may have to fight; they've been chasing us for almost an hour".

Jay looked back to BC and the captain before looking back at O'Brian "Keep heading this way at full speed once your within proximity of us launch all fighters and tell them to follow my lead". O'Brian nodded "Understood" The commander of the Emerald's Edge turned around and began barking orders again "Tell every squad to get ready for launch, tell em' not to get sloppy out there our captain is returning to the front line".

Jay quickly turned around and looked over to BC "Raise the alarm get everyone ready for battle immediately" he ordered before marching out of the hangar and contacting Kira with his radio "Kira get ready for battle I need you in the air in 5". After he finished speaking the Nirvana's alarm blared throughout the ship louder than ever and every pilot began rushing to the hangar.

Entering the hangar Jay quickly rushed over to his Wyvernn and prepped it for take off "This is Jay I'm ready, entering take off position now".

Behind him Meia and Kira were just entering their respective fighters and Hibiki along with Dita and Jura had just entered the hangar "This is Jay I'm taking off".

After the silver Wyvernn launched Kira launched alongside Meia; who were followed by Dita and Jura and then Hibiki. After Kira set herself in formation alongside Jay he contacted O'Brian on the Emerald's Edge. "All pilots are ready captain awaiting your orders" he said sternly.

"Launch all fighters now" Jay yelled. On the bridge of the Emerald's Edge O'Brian slammed his hand down on a button that lit the two hangars in a green light signaling to all the pilots to take off.

From both sides of the massive warship fighters began pouring out and entering formation with their respective squadrons the waves of voices overlapping one another "Baron 2 in position. This is Skeleton 6 I'm air born. Phantom 7 awaiting orders. Corpse 1 armed and ready"

Jay and Kira sped ahead of the Dread teams determined to reach the Emerald's Edge before the harvesters.

One of the fighters from the Emerald's Edge yelled over the radio when he saw the two Wyvernns approaching them "It's the Wyvernns it's the Wyvernns the Holy Knights have returned".

As the two Wyvernns roared past the Emerald's Edge fleet Jay began issuing orders "Firefly battalion follow Kira and flank the enemy, Emperor Battalion you're on me. All Bombers arm hot and focus all fire on the carriers, Skeleton and Corpse squadrons provide cover for the Emerald's Edge, and Magician squadron assist the Dread teams".

After giving out his orders Jay split from Kira and entered battle with almost a hundred Gelinkos fighters following behind him in a head on attack, while Kira and her battalion flanked them from the sides.

"This is Phantom squadron initiating bombing run on the first carrier clear the area".

"Baron 1 to all units making run on the second carrier watch out for the debris"

Meia finished issuing her orders to the Dread teams and finally entered the battle narrowly avoiding a collision with a Gelinkos fighter. Seeing the way the pilots from the Emerald's Edge performed in battle Meia was in awe, she had never seen so many fighters fly in such a beautiful pattern and be in such sync with one another.

"Phantom 2 to all friendlies a carrier is down, repeat a carrier has been destroyed setting focus to the next one".

"This is Baron 1 carrier two has been eliminated moving on to the next target".

"This is Kira looks like they're sending out the specials types Firefly battalion disperse and eliminate them".

Jay contacted Meia "Meia I need you to take your team around the rear left flank their wide open".

"Understood leave it to me" she said before issuing an attack order to her team.

With every fighter now in battle the harvest fleet began taking heavy losses as ship after ship was destroyed. After the fourth and final carrier was destroyed the bombers pulled out and began supporting the damaged craft as they returned to their respective ships.

"Kira here confirmed kill on all special types Firefly battalion is cleared to engage freely".

Jay flew through several fighters and weaved his way past Meia and the dread team before launching a burst bomb at the hull of the seed ship making a massive hole in its side allowing the rest of the fighters to deal the finishing blow.

After the seed ship was destroyed O'Brian's voice echoed across the radios "Head's up both of the flagships have entered combat airspace we're prepping the Nightmare cannon now".

"Negative" Jay said after flying out of the battlefield and towards the flagships "Just leave the flagships to Kira and me everyone else hang back".

After hearing that Kira separated from her squad and flew at maximum speed towards Jay's Wyvernn "Ready Kira?"

"Yeah let's do it" she yelled as the two Wyvernns were engulfed in a blinding, divine light.

"What's going on what happened?" several voices from the Gelinkos fighters were overlapping as the light that engulfed the two Wyvernns disappeared leaving behind the ArchAngel.

"What is that thing?" O'Brian wondered as the ArchAngel began flying towards the two waiting flagships.

"Laser charged and ready" Kira said as she turned her seat to face Jay. "Fire!" Jay yelled flipping the switch on his side of the control terminal.

On the bridge of the Nirvana Celtic saw the energy signal from the ArchAngel building up and she turned around "ArchAngel firing laser".

In a flash of divine light a beam shot from the right palm of the ArchAngel and swept across space in a split second passing through both of the flagships before disappearing a few seconds later.

Explosions quickly chained throughout the two Harvest flagships before they both split apart and slowly began drifting away from one another.

"Laser Rain ready let's finish em'" Jay ordered.

The ArchAngel curled its legs and arms inward as its divine wings folded over it before throwing them back and unleashing the devastating barrage of lasers that rained down upon the flagships destroying both of them in a heavenly light.

After the light vanished, the ArchAngel turned around and flew back towards the Nirvana the cheering from both the Nirvana and the Emerald's Edge echoing and overlapping one another on the radios. After the two Wyvernns separated and returned to the Nirvana Jay and Kira quickly rushed over to the docking station and awaited O'Brian's arrival.

Standing in the center of the docking station Jay and Kira watched the small transport ship land ten yards away from them and the ramp that extended from under its door as it opened. The first two people that emerged were wearing military style clothing the blond haired pilot on the left was heavily decorated with medals and awards. The blond haired pilot stepped forward and raised his right arm in salute to Jay and Kira, who returned the gesture.

"It's great to see you two again I feared the worst after we lost you that day" the pilot said sternly. After lowering his hand Jay stood firm and said "At ease Flynn". Flynn loosened his body and waved his hand for the other pilot to join him. The young dark haired pilot stepped forward and his expression immediately told his story "This is Roland Carlvan, we call him RC for short, he's a rookie who High Command added to the Baron squad just before we received your message a few months ago".

The rookie timidly stood at attention and saluted Jay and Kira "Pl…Pleased to meet you sirs I've heard a lot about you both".

Kira smiled softly at the new rookie and said in a motherly tone "Just relax there's no need to be nervous".

"Jay, Kira" O'Brian's voice called from the transport ship. Standing in the doorway of the transport ship stood O'Brian and a woman who looked a lot like Kira with the exception of her hair and eye color. "Yo" Jay called up to them as they walked down the ramp to join them followed by a slim dark-skinned man with glasses and a briefcase.

After giving Jay and Kira a respectful salute O'Brian introduced the dark-skinned man as Ron Alleria he was the new head technician for the Emerald's Edge. After giving Ron a proper greeting Jay led O'Brian and the others to the briefing room where they would meet captain Magno and BC.

After sliding open the door to the briefing room Jay pointed out each of the crew members at the table and introduced them "That's Captain Magno, That's BC the Sub-Commander and this lovely lady is Meia Gisborn leader of the Dread teams". Turning his attention to the three across the table he introduced his old crew from the Emerald's Edge "You already know O'Brian my second in command. This gentleman is Eric Flynn leader of the Baron Bomber squadron, that's RC the new rookie assigned to the Baron squad, this is Ron Alleria the new head technician and this lovely lady is Kai Esperer…Kira's older sister".

After giving proper introductions everyone took their seats around the table the two sides began exchanging pleasantries and information. Kai was sitting next to her sister while across from them Jay took his seat next to Meia.

"We intercepted an encoded transmission from a Tarak fleet a few weeks ago stating that several of their elite squads were wiped out by two lone pilots" O'Brian said sliding an open file to BC who quickly looked over it while he continued "After investigating the area we managed to salvage one of the battle cam's from one of the fighters I was pleased to find out that it was our Holy Knights that did it" he said with a small laugh while looking over to Jay and Kira "With the Serpents and the Widows destroyed our priority can be focused entirely on the Sorcerer now".

Jay gave a smug grunt before speaking "Good luck finding what's left of it".

O'Brian as well as the rest of the Emerald's Edge crew looked over to their captain wondering what he meant by his comment. Jay looked over to BC and captain Magno begging them with his eyes to explain it to them. BC closed the file and slid it back to O'Brian before activating a hologram in the center of the table that showed the final moments of Jay's battle against the Sorcerer.

"Thanks to his valiant efforts Jay managed to destroy the Sorcerer while providing support for us to escape the battle zone, if it wasn't for him and his plan to slip through the asteroid field on the side we never would've made it through there alive" she explained as the hologram showed the Sorcerer's energy core imploding from the inside out.

The crew members from the Emerald's Edge were in shock the Sorcerer was the most powerful and dangerous weapon their world has ever produced they never thought a single pilot could destroy it. Kai gave a nonchalant laugh "I don't know why I'm so surprised let's not forget our captain previous exploits. He's held his own against anything thrown at him with or without a wingman by his side".

After Kai and O'Brian began telling a story about a recon mission Jay did alone only a week after becoming a fighter pilot, Jay leaned over to Meia and whispered to her to follow him as he got up to leave. After leaving the briefing room with Meia he turned to her and smiled "How about a tour of the Emerald's Edge?"

Accepting the offer Meia hooked her arm around Jay's as he led her to the hangar and they both climbed into his Wyvernn. There wasn't much room free room so Meia sat on Jay's lap as the canopy closed over the cockpit. Jay contacted the Emerald's Edge bridge crew to let them know he was going to be making a short visit to the ship.

After taking off from the Nirvana Jay quickly looped around both the Nirvana and the Emerald's Edge and Meia was amazed at the size of the Emerald's Edge in comparison to the Nirvana; the Emerald's Edge was almost ten times larger than the Nirvana which wasn't surprising once she thought about it considering it was a warship.

After landing in the reserve hangar Jay and Meia climbed out of the Wyvernn and they were greeted by a few pilots from various squadrons. "Great to see you again captain" one of the pilots said saluting Jay. On the front side of the pilot's right shoulder was the emblem of the Corpse squadron and the number 4 next to it.

"Thank you lieutenant" Jay said returning the salute before leading Meia out of the hangar. The first place he showed her was the bridge, after the doors opened every crew member on the bridge stood at attention and saluted their captain in unison they all said "Welcome home sir!"

"At ease everyone you don't need to be so formal with me" Jay said in a hidden embarrassed tone. After he finished showing Meia around the bridge and explaining how many of the systems worked on the ship he led her to the gym where the crew would occasionally spar with one another and of course where people would challenge Jay for his title as champion of the Emerald's Edge. Around the whole gym were large banners with the name of the various crew members Jay had defeated and below their names was the number of victories he had after defeating that person. The last banner had three names on it "Kira Esperer, Hideki Deckland, and O'Brian" the number below the three names was "174-0".

Jay sighed when he looked at the final banner "That needs to be corrected I'll have to remember to tell Kai to get a banner showing my loss to Kira". Meia looked up to him as he shook his head before leading her out of the large gymnasium and to the crew quarters.

Stopping in front of a steel door with a nameplate that read "Kanchou: Jay Masterson".

"What's that mean?" Meia asked him after reading over the unfamiliar word. "It means Warship Captain." Jay said softly as he typed in a code on the keypad before sliding the door open.

"This is my room" he said after flipping the light switch. Meia looked around she was amazed at how small the room was. In the far corner was a small table with a clear box containing several various poker decks, next to the bed was a bookshelf with over a hundred old-looking books. On the desk next to the bookshelf was an open file with a list of several important high ranking officials from the Tarak military and several of the pictures had either a red X or a gray check mark drawn over them to signify that he was either dead or captured.

Jay walked over to the edge of his bed retrieved a necklace that had two military dog tags on it the names on each of them said "Jack Masterson _Blood Hunter_. And Horus 1 Meimei Masterson". Jay smiled happily as he gently held the dog tags in his hand before turning to Meia and placing the necklace around her neck. After the lace rested on the back of Meia's neck Jay hesitated before he let go of the dog tags and sighed "I can finally let them go".

Confused Meia looked at the dog tags he gave her and her eyes widened when she saw the names on them. "Jay are you…" Meia was cut off when she felt Jay's arms around her. Meia closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest, whenever she held onto him she felt safe she knew that she could let go of all her worries as long as he was with her.

After a while Jay released her and sat at the edge of his bed "It feels weird being back here after so long…Almost like it isn't my room". After Meia sat next to him he looked at her a smiled "I guess that's because ever since I realized my feelings for you my home would be wherever you are" Jay paused to look at the bright ceiling lights before falling back onto his bed "Wherever you are Meia is home enough for me".

Meia smiled as she lay back next to him and rested her arm across his body "As long as you're with me there's nothing I need to worry about".

Dita, Hibiki and Misty were being shown around the Emerald's Edge by Flynn and RC after they were shown the cafeteria Hibiki immediately begged Flynn to let them stop for lunch to which he smiled and laughed before letting them in.

In the Nirvana's briefing room O'Brian was finishing his conversation with BC and captain Magno "Wow" O'Brian said after watching the entire recording of the Sorcerer fight "I knew the kid was talented, but I never imagined he'd be this good I guess I can see now why his dad made him captain before he died".

BC gave a sly smile and nodded "It's true that Jay is indeed one of a kind. Since his arrival here not only has he managed to befriend everyone on board, but he's also managed to inspire an unparalleled sense of hope among them almost like it radiates off of him".

O'Brian chuckled "Before the incident where his mom died it didn't matter how gloomy and down people were the second he stepped foot into the same room everyone began to feel a little more cheerful, I never really thought about it too much, but he just has that gift to make people feel better. That's why so many people gravitate to him why he's able to befriend practically everyone he meets…"

O'Brian looked to the seat where Jay was sitting before he left and let out a hearty laugh "That kid sure is something special, he's even found a girlfriend now".

"Girlfriend?" BC asked a little confused "Oh you mean Meia. Yes in recent months they've been spending just about every free moment with each other". BC gave a soft smile to captain Magno as they both remembered the few occasions they spotted Jay and Meia alone.

"I can't say that it's all because of Jay though" O'Brian said breaking the brief silence between them "If it wasn't for Kira, Jay wouldn't be the person he is today. Kira's also a one of a kind you and your children's children can spend your entire lives looking you'll never find another person like her. Compassionate, reliable, very intelligent and beautiful beyond all meaning of the word. Her and Jay along with Jack and Rainer were the inspiration for our military, even after Rainer and Jack died those two managed to give our people hope in a worthwhile future they can't be replaced no one could come close to filling their shoes".

Just outside the women's quarters of the Nirvana Kira had just introduced her older sister to Barnette and Jura who seemed to take an instant liking to her. "Your hair is beautiful Kai" Jura gasped after seeing how smooth Kai's dark brown hair was "You have to tell me your secret to keep your hair is this condition".

Kira smiled and shook her head just as her sister answered Jura "I just wash it everyday nothing more". Jura was shocked and quickly withdrew her hand from Kai's hair "You…you mean you don't use any special products to keep your hair like this?"

Kira answered "Nope, none at all for some reason this silky, smooth hair you see is all natural for my sister. I was surprised at first too, but it just happens for some girls I guess".

Jura sighed "That's too bad now I'm all jealous. What do you think Barnette?"

Staring at Kai, Barnette said "It's a surprise to me, but I'm more curious to know what kind of diet your on your figure is amazing".

Kai's answer was shrouded in an uncomfortable tone "I'm not on a diet I just do the same routine day to day shower, east, work and then sleep".

Both Barnette and Jura were shocked by Kai's answer "You can't be serious, you're telling us that you don't even exercise and you're not on a diet?"

"That's right" Kai said with a small smile "I stay busy almost all day so my job is my exercise. Even if I did go on a diet not a lot would change the food we make on the Emerald's Edge is prepared to balance calories and substance to a tee, meaning max substance minimum fat".

Throughout the rest of the day the crew of the Emerald's Edge and the Nirvana interacted with one another making friends and sharing stories, Kira and Kai explained many things about their world and how life aboard the Emerald's Edge was in the past.

Dita, Misty and Hibiki finally finished their tour of the Emerald's Edge, Hibiki gained a new respect for women after seeing how well male and female could interact after being together for so long.

Duelo and Parfet spent their time in both the engineering block and the medical bay they were both amazed at the amount of equipment and the efficiency of the crew.

The bridge crew didn't take a full tour, but they were still shown the better points of the Emerald's Edge, Bart was surprised to see how the helmsman of the Emerald's Edge controlled the ship it was nothing like the way he did things. From a massive control panel below the bridge the two helmsmen steered and controlled the ships weaponry.

The two introduced themselves as Isis and Surt they were twins, Isis kept her blonde hair tied back in a bun with a single prod sticking through its base to hold it, her eyes were bright green and her skin was beautiful its white tone showed how much time she spent taking care of her appearance.

Surt's eyes and hair color matched his sister's, but his skin was tanned, and his build was bordering between average and slim. The two helmsmen didn't talk much, but they were nice enough to share a few stories with Bart and the bridge bunnies about life on the Emerald's Edge from their point of view.

Gascogne was only interested in seeing two places on the Emerald's Edge the registry area or as it was called on the Emerald's Edge the Ordinance hold, and the hangars. After seeing both the Ordinance hold and the five hangars Gascogne returned to the Nirvana.

Back in Jay's room he and Meia were still lying on the center of his bed. Jay cupped his hands behind his head and closed his eyes while Meia rested her arm across his body. About 20 minutes of silence passed by before Meia said something; Jay didn't respond he remained silent. Meia leaned closer and realized that he had fallen asleep, smiling gently she kissed him on the cheek and silently left the room.

Over the next couples of hours Meia walked around the Emerald's Edge trying to imagine what the ship must look like through Jay and Kira's eyes. Stopping at a message board at the end of a hall she saw several pictures of crew members at various beautiful places, she assumed they were places from their home world Gelinkos.

She'd like to see their world one day she thought to herself before turning away from the board and continuing down the next hall. Opening the door to a staircase she checked the deck listings and decided to make one last trip to the training deck.

Exiting the staircase Meia walked down the training deck and saw a few crew members sparring with each other in the Gym while Flynn the pilot she met earlier watched from the doorway. Seeing Meia watch the crew members sparring Flynn smiled and walked over to her.

Greeting Meia, Flynn turned his attention to the crew members in the Gym "The one in the gray over there is Captain Elliot Kavai, she used to be the leader of the Baron squad, but she decided to retire from piloting and train the new pilots in physical combat. She's the one who trained Jay in hand to hand combat".

Meia quickly looked up to Flynn after he said that and just as quickly returned her gaze to the woman in the gym. She appeared to be between her late 30's and early 40's. She was easily throwing guys twice her size over her shoulder and flipping them to the side she had no trouble subduing any of them.

Flynn continued "Captain Kavai was Jay's 32nd opponent in his conquest of the crew. After she lost to him she realized how strong he became and decided that she would help train others like him. The next day she made me the leader of the squadron, I wasn't sure I was ready to lead the squad, but she had faith in me if it wasn't for her I probably wouldn't be the man I am today"

Flynn paused and took a deep breath; before he continued Captain Kavai had walked over to them, he brown eyes showed her story as a warrior, while she brushed her black hair over her shoulder. "You must be Meia, Flynn mentioned you after he got back" she said in a stern voice before shaking Meia's hand.

Another hour passed while Meia, Flynn and Kavai talked, Kavai told Meia a lot about her past both as a pilot and a trainer. Kavai saw the way Meia's eye's, stance and voice changed whenever they talked about Jay and she smiled at the young pilot. "You love him huh?" she asked Meia with a motherly smile.

Meia's face turned red slightly, but she looked Kavai in the eyes and nodded.

Kavai gave a small chuckle "I always wondered when that boy would find girl. I can tell by the way you walk and the look in your eyes that you've seen your share of bad things as well as battles. I know the two of you will have a happy life if you decide to stay together".

For some reason Kavai's words made Meia think of the future, how she and Jay would live together, she even thought of what kind of kids they would have, she didn't know of the normal way human's were born, but her heart told her that what she was seeing was natural.

After saying goodbye to captains Flynn and Kavai, Meia returned to Jay's room just as he got up. Smiling at him she gave him a quick hug before they decided to return to the Nirvana.

After they got into Jay's Wyvernn and launched from the Emerald's Edge Jay said "I'm thinking about doing something special before I leave the Emerald's Edge. I'm going to have one last match before I leave them what do you think?"

Meia looked at him and leaned her head against his chest "I'm sure every one of them would want to see it, to remember their captain before he left".

Jay nodded and smiled just as they docked with the Nirvana. He was going to have one last match onboard the Emerald's Edge his last act as captain of that ship.


	10. Passing the Torch

**Disclaimer/warning. **I do not own the terms DDT Sweet Chin Music or any named maneuvers performed and/or used by the WWE rights and copyright goes to the WWE corporation.

If you are not a wrestling fan, then you might as well skip this chapter.

* * *

Deep in the vast void of space two ships drifted slowly next to one another the Nirvana and the Gelinkos warship the Emerald's Edge. It had been almost two days since the Emerald's Edge intercepted with the Nirvana and everyone from both ships seemed to be enjoying their new allies however temporary their visit was.

Inside the training deck of the Emerald's Edge past the gym was a large room with tens of thousands of seats goings all the way around the room itself must have been 4 stories tall and almost a half a mile in diameter it was more of an arena than a room.

In the center of this massive room was a ramp that led from the doorway down to a square ring about 15 across and ten feet on each side. A set of three ropes stretched across each side of the ring tying it together to each of the steel posts in each corner.

In the center of the ring Jay sat on a steel chair leaning his chin against his cupped fists staring aimlessly at the ramp way that led to the door. Thinking over the events of the past two days he closed his eyes before standing up. Grabbing the back of the chair he folded it and slid it out of the ring before running towards the center ropes ahead of him.

Turning his back to the ropes at last second he used his rebound momentum to sprint towards the opposite side. Just as he reached the ropes he jumped onto the middle rope and propelled himself into a back flip landing on his feet in the center of the ring.

Turning towards one of the turn posts he ran over to it before jumping onto the center rope and jumping back while kicking at the air as he turned. Climbing to the top of the same turn post he jumped off into a frog splash position landing on his stomach.

Quickly getting to his feet he used his left arm to massage his abdomen before quickly dropping down and using his right arm to pull down the top rope. After the rope springed Jay back to his feet he quickly stepped to the side and kicked his leg high into the air just as someone called his name.

Looking over to the stands on the right side of the arena he saw Kira watching him from the front row "Hey" he said after rolling under the bottom rope and walking over to her. "Getting ready huh?" Kira asked him as she handed him a towel.

"Yeah this is gonna be my last match so I figured I'd make it tough on everyone" Jay said as he used the towel to wipe the sweat from his forehead. "So did you get everything set up?"

Kira nodded before Jay jumped over the short rubber padded wall between the outer ring and the stands. "All we need to do now is have the drawing and then we can start once everyone is ready" she continued as they walked up the stairs and behind a black curtain.

In the Emerald's Edge cafeteria Barnette and Jura were talking to Kai and her fiancé Alberto Borman the head chef of the Emerald's Edge. Alberto appeared to be 28 years old and had medium length black hair with blue eyes and lightly tanned skin.

Alberto was currently taking a break he and the rest of the cooking staff were preparing a banquet to celebrate Jay and Kira's returning as well as their new allies. "This is delicious Alberto" Barnette said after trying some of the spiced teriyaki steak. Alberto thanked her before Captain Eric Flynn called him from the doorway telling him it was time. Alberto said farewell to the three ladies before leaving the cafeteria with Flynn. After they left Kai began telling Jura and Barnette that Jay and Kira were planning a special event that was going to start in the next few hours.

On the bridge of the Emerald's Edge O'Brian had introduced BC and Magno to the leader of the Bridge operators 1st Sergeant Michael Yulson. Yulson was a young man who appeared around 24 or 25 years old he had short brown hair and dark green eyes his skin was deeply tanned. Immediately after greeting both BC and Magno Sergeant Yulson's watch began beeping, excusing himself from the room Yulson quickly jogged out of the bridge and joined Alberto and Captain Flynn outside Hangar 1.

"All right Borman you go and get the Carrs, I'll get RC, McCartney and Bourne together, while Yulson you get Cage, Buckland and Telholme then we can all meet in the briefing room" Flynn ordered before rushing down the hall towards the staircase.

"See ya in a few then" Alberto said to Michael before entering the hangar and walker up the long staircase towards the office of the leader of the Hangar teams Jason Carr. Opening the door Alberto said hello to Jason and his wife Elizabeth. The two Carrs each had short black hair, Jason had blue eyes and his skin was almost pale while Elizabeth's eyes were green and her skin was fairly tan. "Its time for the drawings let's go" Alberto said before leaving them room.

Outside the medical bay Michael straightened himself and quickly ran his left hand over his hair before making sure his shirt collar and uniform was straight. Taking a long hesitant breath he opened the doors and went inside. "Where's Yukari?" he asked one of the nurses. "She's in her office getting ready" the head nurse said before returning her attention to the medical files in front of her.

Michael took another hesitant breath before walking down a short side hall and stopping in front of a door the nameplate read "Yukari Telholme. Chief Medic".

Just before Michael knocked on the door someone opened it from inside. The woman standing behind the door was Yukari Telholme the boss of the medical teams and overseer of the medical deck. Her long black hair was tied together and draped over her left shoulder her skin was fair and her eyes were two different colors; one was blue the other was green.

"Hello Michael" she said in an angelic voice "Is it time already?"

"Y…Yes ma'am" Michael said nervously. Yukari smiled at him "Relax Michael you don't have to be so nervous around me".

Michael nodded "I'm sorry I…I just can't help it every time I see you my mind draws a blank and I…" Yukari placed her hand on his shoulder cutting him off "Just be yourself don't worry about everything being perfect just relax".

Michael nodded before leaving the medical bay with Yukari.

After leaving the Med bay Michael and Yukari headed straight for the library where they were sure to find Aaron Cage and William R. Buckland.

Entering the library they saw the two pilots they were looking for. Sitting at the center table of the library were two pilots. On the left was the leader of the Phantom bomber squadron Aaron Cage. A young man about the same age as Michael with blonde hair, light brown eyes and deeply tanned skin. Across from Cage sat a man in his early 40's William R. Buckland the former captain of the Phantom bomber squadron.

Buckland was a balding man with graying hair and a tough demeanor his blue eyes showed that he had seen many things in his life both good and bad.

The two pilots were playing a quite game of chess which was their usual hobby, after Buckland made his move Cage placed him in check, but Buckland took his rook that checked his king placing Cage in checkmate ending the game.

"You win again old man" Cage said tipping over his king. "You'll win eventually Aaron" the old pilot said with a pleased smile "After I go blind of course" he joked. Aaron and William gave a hearty laugh before they cleaned up the chess set and got up from their seats.

"Hey you two its time" Yukari said from the doorway.

The two pilots looked over to Yukari and Michael and nodded in agreement before following them out of the door and to the briefing room.

Entering the briefing room the 4 crew members greeted Jay and Kira before taking their seats around the table with everyone else in total there were 15 people in the room.

"All right you all volunteered to do this so this is how its going to go down" Jay began as he set a small box on the table and slid it to Flynn who was the first person on the left side of the table "Each of you will pull a single number from the box that will be your entry number, numbers 1 and 2 will start and in 5 minute intervals the next will enter until all 15 of us have entered the ring" Jay continued.

Kira took over "As you've already guessed this is going to be elimination style. But since this is the first time we've had this kind of match I'll explain the rules".

Kira explained the rules of the match that was going to happen between them and after they drew their numbers they all stood up and headed for the arena.

In the arena room of the massive warship most of the crew from the Nirvana gathered around the stands while most of Emerald's Edge crew remained at their work places and watched the monitors to see the match that was about to take place.

Standing in the center of the ring was Kira's sister she had a microphone in her hand and was waiting for the lights in the arena to dim a little. Once the lights dimmed she raised the mic to her mouth and announced the match "The following is a farewell match. Captain Jay Masterson has stated that win or lose this will be his final match on board the Emerald's Edge. As of midnight tonight he will be relieving his position as captain of the Emerald's Edge and traveling with the Nirvana and her crew".

Around the ship the crew of the Emerald's Edge couldn't believe what they were hearing their captain was going to leave them.

"The rules of this match are simple. 15 competitors will enter this ring starting with the two who drew numbers 1 and 2. In five minute intervals the next competitor will enter and this will continue until all 15 have entered the ring. The winner will be the last one left in the ring. The only way to be eliminated is to be thrown over the top rope with both feet touching the floor".

After she finished speaking Kai left the ring while the lights dimmed and a spotlight shined down on the entrance to the ramp as heavy music started playing. The black curtain at the top of the ramp opened revealing Michael Yulson who briskly made his way down the ramp and entered the ring.

"Introducing first, he is the head bridge operator Staff Sergeant Michael Yulson" Kai announced as Michael entered the ring and began stretching his arms.

After the crew from the Emerald's Edge stopped cheering the music started again and the curtain opened revealing the 2nd competitor Elizabeth Carr. "And introducing the individual who drew number 2 she is the head of our communications department Elizabeth Carr".

After Elizabeth entered the ring the music stopped and the cheering from the audience died down a little. The two opponents kept their eyes on one another until the bell outside the ring sounded signaling the start of the match. The two opponents quickly began circling each other sizing the other up. Elizabeth made the first move charging forward aiming for Michael's mid section, but he stepped to the side and placed his hand on her back using all of his strength to push her adding to her momentum making it harder for her to stop.

Elizabeth was pushed into the ropes, but turned at last second and used the rebounding momentum to jump. Holding her arm out she hit Michael with a flying clothesline knocking him down. Elizabeth quickly got to her feet and waited for Michael to get up before charging over to him and spearing him. Michael saw through this move and dropped down pulling the top rope down with him sending Elizabeth over it and to the ring floor in elimination.

It had taken him a little over four minutes to eliminate his opponent, but it gave him time to rest before the next entrant showed up. A large screen above the ramp counted down the last ten seconds of the five minute mark. Once the countdown hit zero a loud buzzer sounded and the generic metal music started again as the curtain was lifted.

Aaron Cage quickly ran down the ramp and slid into the ring and the two opponents quickly locked into a grapple and began vying for control. Forcing Michael down to one knee Aaron shifted his hold into a headlock and immediately tightened his grip. Michael used his leveled foot to gain a sturdy position before using all of his strength to push Aaron away from him.

After Aaron released the hold he ran towards the ropes and rebounded off of them attempting to hit Michael with a big boot. Michael quickly dropped down to the mat as Aaron raised his leg up and got behind him. Wrapping his arms around Aaron's gut Michael braced himself before throwing himself back and launching Aaron over him with a belly to back suplex.

Aaron quickly got to his feet just as Michael did and they entered another grapple just as the countdown hit zero once again.

The music started once again as the curtain lifted revealing Caitlyn Bourne the leader of the Skeleton fighter squadron. As Caitlyn made her way down to the ring the 5 members of the Skeleton fighter squadron could be heard clearly over the rest of the roaring crew as their captain entered the ring.

The match continued without elimination the next five minutes passed and the fifth entrant made his way to the ring it was Alberto Borman the head chef of the Emerald's Edge. Walking to the other side of the ring he gave Kai a quick kiss before sliding into the ring and entering the match.

The four opponents continued to fight and throw each other around trying to eliminate anyone they could. Aaron was thrown against the ropes just after Alberto slammed Michael from the top of the corner post. Seeing Caitlyn trying to eliminate Aaron, Alberto quickly ran over to her and grabbed him by the legs trying to push them over the top rope.

As Caitlyn and Alberto fought against Aaron to push him over the top rope the countdown's buzzer sounded again summoning the sixth entrant manager of the hangar teams Jason Carr, who quickly rushed down to the ring eager to get in on the action. Once Carr entered the ring Aaron kicked Alberto off of him and used his free hand to push Caitlyn away. Just as Aaron targeted Alberto, Jason rushed over to him and hit him with a clothesline sending him over the top rope.

Jason quickly turned around to change targets unaware that neither of Aaron's feet touched the floor. He had managed to hold on to the top rope and pull himself back into the ring. Instead of going for the surprise attack on Carr, Aaron decided to go after Alberto instead.

The match continued and Aaron was eventually eliminated by the combined efforts of Alberto and Michael. Immediately after they threw Aaron over the ropes Alberto and Michael locked up and began fighting, while Caitlyn was trying to avoid being eliminated by Carr.

Just as Carr tossed Caitlyn over the top rope she landed one foot on the edge of the ring and quickly slid back in before sweeping around and knocking Carr off balance. With Carr on his back Caitlyn quickly jumped onto the center rope and springed off it in a moonsault landing on Carr's stomach with full momentum behind her.

Just as Caitlyn hit her moonsault the buzzer sounded again and the next entrant didn't even wait for the curtain to rise he charged down the ramp and entered the ring. Entrant number seven was Eric Flynn leader of the Baron Bomber squadron. Flynn immediately went after Michael and Alberto attempting to eliminate both of them in one go, but he failed after Caitlyn jumped onto his back and locked in a sleeper hold.

Flynn thrashed around trying to get Caitlyn off of him, while Michael and Alberto continued their own battle between each other. Carr on the other side of the ring had finally begun stirring. Slowly climbing to his knees Carr grabbed hold of the middle rope to support him as he pulled himself up.

Carr climbed his way along the ropes and backed into a corner to catch his breath while the others were fighting each other. Flynn finally got Caitlyn off of him and almost managed to eliminate her, but her superior agility kept her in the match as she slid back into the ring just after being thrown over the ropes.

The match continued and all around the Emerald's Edge the crew began counting down the final five seconds until the next buzzer.

The next buzzer sounded, but the music was different this time. It didn't sound like generic metal music it sounded like the song Jay played over his radio during a harvest battle two weeks ago. Once the music began playing the entire Emerald's Edge crew erupted as their captain entered the arena boldly making his way down the ramp.

Jay stopped just at the edge of the ring giving each of his opponents a stern salute before sliding under the bottom rope. Once Jay entered the ring Alberto charged at him with a clothesline, but Jay ducked under it and the built up momentum sent Alberto over the top rope.

Alberto managed to grab the center rope and prevent his elimination, but the second he got back to a vertical base Jay hit him with some sweet chin music knocking him off the ring edge and into elimination.

After Alberto's elimination Jay turned around just as Michael was running over to him and ducked down grabbing Michael by his leg and throwing him over the top rope. Michael landed with one foot on the ring's edge and quickly turned around and kicked Jay in the back of his head making him stumble forward.

As Jay stumbled Michael pulled back on the top rope and used it to launch himself back into the ring. As he flew back into the ring Michael grabbed Jay by his head and slung around him before planting him with a DDT.

Michael rolled away and quickly got to his feet only to have Caitlyn jump at him from the top of the corner post. Caitlyn locked her legs around Michael's neck and fiercely twisted her torso to throw him over the top rope eliminating him. After Michael's elimination Jay slammed his hands against the mat before pushing up with enough strength to jump to his feet.

Carr took advantage of Caitlyn's maneuver and attempted to eliminate her only to have Jay eliminate both of them in one go. Jay grabbed hold of Carr's legs and threw him up over the ropes, his weight forced Caitlyn to release her grip on the ropes causing her elimination as well as Carr's.

After eliminating both opponents Jay turned his attention to Flynn who was watching from the other side of the ring trying to catch his breath. Jay and Flynn quickly locked into a grapple and began vying for control as the countdown timer hit zero once again.

The generic music started again as the ninth entrant appeared. William R. Buckland the former captain of the Phantom bomber squadron. The old muscular man quickly made his way to the ring and tackled both of his opponents before picking Flynn up by his neck and throwing him over the top rope with authority.

After eliminating Flynn William turned his attention to Jay who was rolling away from him before jumping to his feet. The crew from the Nirvana seemed to finally get into the match as they all began shifting in their seats, Barnette seemed to be really enjoying the match she and Gascogne were cheering Jay on as he and William traded hands with one another.

William grabbed Jay by his neck and lifted him into the air, but Jay turned it around by placing him in a headlock with his legs and twisting himself he propelled William into the center rope. William was stunned as he hung from the center rope facing the outside of the ring and Jay took his chance.

Jay ran to the opposite side of the ring and rebounded from the ropes just as the countdown hit five seconds. Jay grabbed hold of the top and center ropes once he reached William and used his full momentum to swing his legs through the ropes and into William's face knocking him back into the ring. As William stumbled back and fell over Jay pulled back and springed himself back into the ring landing a body splash on William just as the buzzer sounded.

The music changed once again from generic to a subtle drum beat before exploding in a full metal song and all around the Emerald's Edge the crew cheered alongside the crew of the Nirvana as Kira entered into the match.

Kira sprinted down the ramp and jumped into the ring just as William got to his feet, things immediately started heating up as all three opponents randomly changed targets not discriminating or making any pacts with one another.

The match continued for another ten minutes and the next two entrants had entered the match 1st Lieutenant Arthias Flynn leader of the Corpse fighter squadron, Eric Flynn's younger brother and 2nd Lieutenant Selene McCartney leader of the Magician support fighter squadron.

There were now five opponents in the ring and all hell began breaking loose as each competitor avoided narrow elimination after narrow elimination. Jay had just recovered from a breathtaking tilt a whirl power slam and saw Kira being forced over the ropes by both Selene and Arthias.

Kicking up from the ground Jay rushed over and grabbed both Arthias and Selene in inverted headlocks before dropping back landing a double reverse DDT subsequently saving Kira from elimination.

After Kira climbed back into the ring she gave Jay a confused look before attempting to hit him with his signature move, the classic sweet chin music. Jay ducked under it only to realize that Kira's target was William who about to grab Jay…Kira just saved him from possible elimination.

Jay sprinted at Kira and lunged forward in a spear which Kira quickly sidestepped only to see him spear Arthias. After landing the devastating move Jay quickly got back to his feet and he and Kira pressed their foreheads against one another violently cheering each other on, of course from the stands it looked like they were arguing.

After breaking away from one another they targeted the stirring Selene who was clawing her way back to a vertical base as the countdown hit zero once again.

The next entrant was number thirteen Yukari Telholme the head medic. Quickly rushing down the ramp Yukari slid into the ring and immediately went after Jay and Kira determined to eliminate one of them. After hitting Jay with a dropkick sending him through the middle ropes and to outside floor Yukari focused on the tiring Kira unleashing a barrage of kicks before grabbing Kira's hand and whipping her into the ropes.

After Kira rebounded off the ropes Yukari hit her with a devastating spear and quickly rolled into and armbar submission. Pulling back on Kira's arm while she pushed her shoulder away with her feet Yukari began to wear Kira down even more until Jay got back into the ring and did a baseball slide drop kick into her side knocking her off Kira.

Kira rolled out of the ring holding her shoulder while Jay continued to trade blows with Yukari. Ducking under an attempted clothesline Jay grabbed Yukari's head from behind and dropped back into a sitting position dropping Yukari on the back of her neck.

Slowly getting back to his feet Jay was jumped by Arthias who locked in a full nelson grapple just as the buzzer sounded again and the fourteenth entrant entered the match.

It was Roland Carlvan the rookie of the Baron Bomber squadron. RC quickly raced down to the ring once inside he quickly drop kicked both Jay and Arthias knocking both of them down. Running over to the ropes he jumped onto the center rope and springed off into a lion sault landing on Jay who was already lying on Arthias dealing damage to both of them.

After landing the lion sault RC quickly targeted William who was getting to his feet near a corner. Using the ropes to pull himself up he ran his left hand over his head before shaking his head and regaining his focus. RC quickly ran over to him and jumped into a spinning kick that made William stumble back into the ropes, stunned and leaning against the ropes William was defenseless as RC dropkicked him over the top rope eliminating him from the match.

After William's elimination Selene and Kira both reentered the match just as Jay kicked up from the mat. The four opponents stood ready the fresh RC darted his eyes back and forth between his three opponents and Arthias who was still lying on the mat.

Each of the four competitors backed into each of the corner posts to protect themselves until someone made a move.

As the counter entered its last minute Jay sprinted over to Arthias and lifted him onto his shoulders before throwing him over the top rope, while his back was turned RC dropped kicked him sending him over the top rope, but he managed to hold on and slide back into the ring. Yukari who was lying outside the ring finally recovered and reentered the match grabbing hold of Selene and whipping her into the corner sprinting after her and then spearing her while she was leaning against the turn post.

After spearing Selene Yukari went after Kira locking her in an inverted camel clutch bringing her to one knee. Jay and RC continued to trade blow after blow until Jay found his opening; Grabbing RC by his right shoulder Jay quickly placed his left hand over RC's chest and swept his leg out while pushing him down with full force slamming the young rookie to the ground.

Just as RC's back hit the ground the buzzer sounded and the final entrant appeared behind the black curtain. Captain Elliot Kavai, the former leader of the Baron Bomber squadron and interim champion of the Emerald's Edge.

As Captain Kavai made her way to the ring Kira had hit Yukari with a codebreaker forcing her to stumble back into the ropes which Jay followed up by using a clothesline to knock her over the rope eliminating her.

After Yukari's elimination Kavai had entered the ring and immediately went after Selene easily throwing her over the top rope. After eliminating Selene Kavai turned her attention to Kira who was more focused on catching her breath. Kavai sprinted over and dropped down using a clothesline to knock out Kira's knee causing her to fall, quickly getting back to her feet Kavai turned around and hit Jay in the neck with a high shin kick stunning him.

Jay stumbled back towards the ropes just as RC was waiting to pull the top rope down hoping Jay would fall over them, but Jay quickly whipped around and used a big boot to eliminate him from the match.

After eliminating RC from the match Jay leaned against the ropes to regain his focus, but Kavai grabbed him and whipped him into the ropes on the opposite side of the rings. After rebounding from the ropes Jay lunged forward meeting Kavai with a spear knocking her down before he rolled away and got to one knee.

Kira finally back on her feet watched as Kavai easily got back to a standing position as if nothing happened while Jay struggled to stand. Between the three of them he had been in the longest and it seemed to be taking its toll on him. Using the ropes for support Jay clawed his way back to a vertical base.

Kavai kept her eyes on Kira who was returning the motion and watching her carefully while Jay continued to claw his way back to his feet.

Just as Jay got back on both feet he leaned against the ropes to catch his breath, but the second he turned around Kira sprinted across the ring and hit him with another sweet chin music knocking him over the top rope and to the floor outside the ring.

Kira's choice seemed to shock everyone across the ship; the crew from both the Emerald's Edge and the Nirvana were stunned at what just happened Kira just eliminated Jay with his own move even Kavai was shocked by what just happened.

Kira slowly turned her attention to Kavai. Kira's face showed an expression no one had ever seen before one of endless ambition.

Kavai was still confused about what just happened, but she quickly tossed the thought from her mind and went after Kira who ducked around her attack and grabbed hold of her head as she turned around. Jumping up Kira curled her knees to her face and fell back bringing Kavai's head down with her. When Kira hit the ground the momentum slammed Kavai's forehead into her knees forcing her to stumble back before falling.

Kira rolled to the side and got to her feet and waited a few feet from Kavai who was slowly getting to her feet. Waiting for her to turn around Kira jumped and twisted her torso to sling her leg around and using her lower shin kicked Kavai in the head. The trouble in paradise hit home and sent Kavai over the top rope in elimination.

After both of Kavai's feet hit the ground outside the ring the bell sounded ending the match and declaring Kira the winner of the Emerald's Edge first Royal Rumble, and the new champion.

Every crew member in the stands and across the ship were cheering over Kira's victory, even a few from the Nirvana were cheering especially Dita and Barnette.

Jay climbed back into the ring and painfully walked over to Kira before hugging her. After letting go he handed her something before raising her arm in victory. Leaving the ring Jay walked away without looking back concealing the smile on his face.

Almost an hour removed from the exhilarating match everyone was in the massive cafeteria of the Emerald's Edge celebrating their new champion as well as Jay's last day on board the ship.

In the center of the cafeteria Jay stood on the table and motioned for silence and everyone quickly silenced themselves. "First off I'd like to congratulate Kira once again for her victory, this is the second times she's beaten me". The crew of the Emerald's edge seemed surprised Kira had beaten Jay before?

"A few weeks after the Nirvana saved us Kira and myself decided to give them some entertainment and had a singles match in which Kira was victorious, I did however manage to win a month later, but as of tonight I am no longer a member of this crew and as such Kira is your new champion. I've had my room cleared out and starting at midnight tonight I will be resigning my position as your captain"

Jay looked over to Kira and smiled "Kira I've learned so much from you over the years and I feel like I've taught you a few things as well, but I learned leadership from experience its something that can't be taught, so I'm naming you the next captain of the Emerald's Edge. As of midnight tonight I will be joining the crew of the Nirvana and Kira will be taking my place s captain".

Jay quickly looked at each of his fellow crew members from both ships before continuing "The past 6 years were full of both joy and tragedy, but we've managed to keep each other together and helped one another pull through it all. I will always cherish the memories I have of my time with all of you, after we end the harvest for good I'll arrange for the final party just make sure you all stay alive until then. Just because I'm no longer your captain doesn't mean you can slack off UNDERSTAND!"

The crew of the Emerald's Edge answered in unison "Sir Yes Sir!" Jay smiled as he dropped off the table and raised a glass to Kira as the clock hit midnight the transition was finalized. Walking over to Kira Jay pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the forehead "I'm going to miss you" he said happily as she returned the hug.

* * *

**A/N. **That's chapter 10 hope you enjoyed it, I'm returning to my usual 2 week break before updating again.


	11. Welcome Home Sanitarium

**A/N.** I've decided to keep this chapter short because of its emotional value. Instead of breaking off in mid scene I decided to keep the focus on Jay and Kira throughout the chapter.

I named the chapter after my favorite Metallica song Welcome Home (Sanitarium).

* * *

The day had finally arrived; the day Jay would be leaving his former life as captain of the Emerald's Edge and permanently joining the crew of the Nirvana. While Jay finished his last round on board the Gelinkos warship he kept a smile every time he saw his fellow crew members, but inside a part of him didn't want to leave. It was the part of him that was too attached to Kira to leave.

Throughout Jay's entire childhood Kira had been there for him, his closet friend, his older sister. Stopping in front of his room Jay slowly opened the door after entering the code on the keypad. The room was empty except for the bed, the bookshelf and the two desks in each corner of the room, all of Jay's belongings had been moved to his room on the Nirvana. A sad feeling of nostalgia immediately washed over him as he donned a sad smile and lowered his head.

Slowly reaching for the light switch Jay felt a painful tug in his heart and hesitated for a moment before shedding a single tear and turning off the lights and closing the door behind him. After hearing the door's auto lock click itself in place Jay looked up and met Kira's eyes.

"So this is it huh?" she said quietly. Jay gave her a half smile before nodding slowly "Just two more hours and that's it".

Kira couldn't help herself she quickly reached out and pulled Jay into the tightest hug she could manage and held on as if the world were collapsing around them. "I'm gonna miss you" she cried quietly as he gently wrapped his arms around her.

The two pilots held each other for a few minutes before backing away and walking down the hall with Jay still holding his arm around Kira's shoulder still holding her close…until the end.

The two of them decided to return to the arena one last time to spend their last moments together and remember their lives. Sitting at the top row of the lower section they both starred at the wrestling ring a good twenty yards down from them. After a few minutes in silence Jay finally spoke up "Hey Kira can I ask you something?"

Kira looked over to him and nodded "What's on your mind this time?" Jay took a slow breath before looking at the roof of the ceiling of the arena more than three hundred feet above them "Do you think it would be possible in another life if certain things were different do you think that the two of us would've ended up together?"

Kira gave a quick scoff before smiling at the floor "You're thinking that too huh?" she said before thinking for a few seconds "There were times when I wanted to see what kind of couple we'd make, but I was afraid to try. I've known you since you were a baby Jay and I've always seen you as a little brother to me I was scared that it might ruin our relationship if things didn't work out".

Jay returned his gaze to the ring below them before leaning his head against Kira's shoulder "If things didn't work out…It'd be a bit weird I agree, but we'd still be friends. That much I know that nothing can break us apart".

Just as Kira leaned her head against Jay's the young pilot closed his eyes as Kira wrapped her arm over his shoulder and held him to her not wanting to let go.

About twelve minutes had past before Kira let go of Jay and kissed his forehead before getting to her feet "Let's go shall we?" Jay smiled shyly as he got up from the chair and nodded before making one last glance at the ring below them "I'm really gonna miss this place" he said with a deep sadness in his voice.

As the two of them were about to turn around a familiar voice from the top of the stairs said "For what its worth I think the two of you would've made a great couple".

Kira and Jay both looked at the top of the stairs a few rows up form them and saw captain Kavai leaning against the wall with her arms crossed over her stomach. "Sorry. I've been eavesdropping the entire time, I just figured I'd throw my thoughts in there" after she said that captain Kavai turned around and left the arena, Jay and Kira behind.

Jay looked at the ground and began thinking about what Kavai just said to him _"I think the two of you would've made a great couple"_. Jay couldn't help, but wonder if she was right how different things would be if he and Kira were together instead of him and Meia. Jay quickly snapped himself out of the thought and mentally cursed himself for thinking that way, sure he loved them both, but it wouldn't be fair to Meia for him to think that way. He had already made his choice he promised himself and Meia that he would be staying with her.

After looking over to Kira, Jay gave her a loving smile before racing to the top of the stairs "Come on let's get going" he cheered holding his hand out for her. Kira returned the smile as she ran up to him and grabbed hold of his hand before the two of them walked out of the arena and to the hangar.

As the two pilots entered the hangar crew members from both the Emerald's Edge and the Nirvana walked over to them and surrounded them leaving only a single path to their Wyvernns open. The notion seemed to hit them as both Jay and Kira immediately began heading towards their respective fighters walking shoulder to shoulder.

After entering their fighters the two of them exchanged another glance as the rest of the pilots in the hangar got into their own fighters. As Jay and Kira launched into space Mejerian Dreads and Gelinkos fighters took off behind them flying in formation until Jay split off from Kira and slowly descended towards the Nirvana being followed by the Dread team.

The two squadrons that launched from the Emerald's Edge flew in an honoring formation as they made one last pass by the Nirvana before returning to their own ship to dock. Kira was the last one to return to the Emerald's Edge as soon as she entered the hangar the launch bay doors began closing immediately followed by a set of blast doors to cover them from the outside. Jay watched from the edge of the Nirvana's hangar as the Emerald's Edge began flying away taking Kira with it and leaving him behind for the final time.

Once the Emerald's Edge was clear of the Nirvana its main engines ignited in a furious light before it sped away at top speed leaving nothing behind, but the memory of his last day. Ignoring the pain in his heart Jay stood firm and saluted the now absent ship with a prideful and honorable smile as all of his memories of himself and Kira flooded through his mind in a matter of seconds.

Slowly lowering his hand Jay turned around and met eyes with the crew of the Nirvana including Meia, BC and captain Magno. As Meia walked over to him he gave her the same loving smile that drew her to him in the first place before embracing her in his arms. After a short hug he released her from his left arm while keeping his right hooked around her waist.

Looking over to BC, Gascogne and the captain he smiled at yelled "Let's get going, we've got a mission to get back to".

BC gave him a respecting smile and nodded before turning her head towards the communication terminal next to her. Activating it she contacted Bart on the bridge and told him to power up the engines. "You got it commander" the helmsman said enthusiastically as he dropped into the helmsman portal on the bridge.

As the Nirvana's engines powered up Jay reached down and picked Meia up into his arms and began walking towards the hangar doors carrying her bridal style in his arms as she held onto his neck "Welcome home" she said to him before resting her head against his shoulder. Jay smiled at her before pressing the button to summon the elevator and thought to himself _"Home huh? That's right I'm home now as long as I'm here with you Meia and as long as I keep Kira in my heart I'll always be home"_.


	12. Death

It's been almost an entire month since Kira had left on the Emerald's Edge leaving Jay and the rest of the Nirvana's crew behind. Its been twenty-three days since Jay and Kira said goodbye to each other, but he still felt like a big part of him was missing after she left. Even when he was with Meia he still found it hard to focus on anything else, Kira had been with him since he was an infant and they had never been apart until now it was just something he wasn't used to.

In Reg Central Jay was sitting at a table with Gascogne and Hibiki playing a game of poker. Misty was sitting next to Hibiki hand feeding him some sandwiches she made earlier. Jay was sitting on the right side of the table reading a paper back book entitled "The Hood of Lethal Intent" While Gascogne calmly shifted her gaze from her cards to Jay and then to Hibiki who was still taking more time than needed for his turns.

Jay sighed as he finished another chapter before marking his page and closing the book "You know Hibiki it takes me all of a single second to decide what to do with my hand. It's taken you almost three minutes. This game is beyond simple so either make a move or quit".

Hibiki gave him a glaring look, but before he could say anything the main door to the Registry room opened and Dita ran in with a giant plate of rice balls. After rushing over to the table she took the sandwich from Hibiki's mouth and quickly threw it over her shoulder before setting the rice balls down, which Hibiki didn't complain to.

After Gascogne set a single card down from her hand she pressed a button on a timer which started counting down from three minutes "All right kid it's your turn".

Starting at the timer with a blank, curious expression Dita asked what the timer was for and Gascogne told her "Hibiki debates about this and that and takes way too long so from now on he only gets three minutes per turn".

Jay followed up and said "I say we teach him how to really play this game and only give him two seconds each turn. In the time it takes him to make a single move I could've cleaned this table and read an entire chapter in my book".

Gascogne kept her eyes closed as she continued to speak "By the way. It's not Gasco, its Gascogne".

"Blah blah blah, we get it you're really picky about your name" Jay said turning another page in his book "Your times almost up Hibiki, so you better hurry up".

Hibiki looked at the white haired pilot and growled "I know it is". Holding her hand wearily above his cards Hibiki hesitated again before laying his hand down. With a cocky smile Hibiki said "Try this. A pair of jacks".

Jay's eye began twitching with frustration and he slammed his book shut "It took you three minutes to lay down that hand? You only had two choices fold or show, you fold bad hands like that and show good hands which are Full House and up, like this one" After Jay laid down his hand he turned got up and walked out of the Registry with his book held under his arm.

Jay's hand was a High Straight which means he would've won the hand if he didn't forfeit the game before Gascogne showed her Full House. After seeing both of their hands Hibiki growled before demanding another hand be dealt.

Entering the hangar Jay walked over to his Wyvernn and felt a painful tug in his heart forcing him to look away as he clenched at his chest. "Everything ok?" someone asked him. Turning around Jay's expression quickly changed when he met eyes with Meia, straightening his composure Jay told her "Not really. It's still really hard to get used to the fact that she's not here anymore. I've been with Kira since I was a child and we've never been apart for more than a few days. It just feels like there's a big part of me missing now".

Meia felt sorry for him, she didn't know what kind of pain he was going through, but she still had a promise to keep. Even though it was more of her personal feelings for Jay rather than her promise to Kira, she was going to be there for him no matter what happened. Meia took a single step toward Jay before he reached out and pulled her into a hug with his arms wrapped around her hips "The two of you are the most important parts of my life. As long as I keep Kira in my heart and you here with me everything will be fine".

Meia closed her eyes as she leaned her head against Jay's shoulder and smiled warmly before wrapping her arms around the back of his neck. Before the two pilots could enjoy the moment any further the ship's alarm went off announcing the presence of an enemy fleet.

On the Bridge the main screen appeared showing a large scale harvest fleet with a flagship in the center position.

The captain looked up at the screen and kept her normal tone as she spoke "That's a flagship all right".

BC looked up at her captain and asked "Do you think its one of the ones that changed course due to our destruction of the two at the beginning of the month?"

Magno stayed calm as she looked back at the screen "It looks like we have no choice. If they come any closer to us then we'll have to fight our way through".

Back in the hangar Jay gave Meia a confident smile that seemed to spread straight to her like a virus "Shall we finish this later?" he asked releasing his hold and backing away from her.

Meia returned the same smile and nodded "Yeah. Let's get em'".

After the Dread teams launched Jay was left in the hangar to make a last minute ammunition change to help deal with the flagship. "Dealing with a flagship without proper ammunition isn't the best of plans, but this burst missile will have to do for now" he said to himself after loading two burst missiles onto his Wyvernn. Climbing into the cabin of his fighter Jay powered it up and announced his position before launching into space and setting his usual position above and to the left of Meia.

"Here's the plan people. I'll fly in and draw the big guy's fire Kira you…" Jay paused and mentally slapped himself before speaking again "I'll draw the flagship's fire and drop a burst missile on them. Once their A.A. fire is taken care of we can swoop in and finish it off. Remember to stay alert all those little guys flying around will try to protect their boss".

Meia seemed to agree with the plan as she told Dread team B to split its Dreads between protecting the Nirvana and providing cover for the main team. "Jura, Hibiki you two know your part?"

Jura sped past Meia as she turned towards the Vanguard "Just leave it to me I'll show you who the star is tonight".

After Vandread Jura was formed, Meia ordered the team to assume formation Delta 4 and followed Jay as he flew towards the fleet. Back on the bridge the captain ordered Bart to head towards the enemy at full speed. Bart's response was full of enthusiasm as he yelled "Roger captain. I've got a starring role too".

Misty took a few steps towards the main screen and cried "We're really going to go up against a huge fleet like that without any help?" Magno closed her eyes and smiled "We've defeated them once before and experience has led to a build in our confidence". Pryoro was holding Ezra's baby Meimei as he continued what the captain was saying "We'll surround them with Vandread Jura and destroy them in blow from the main cannon".

Misty smiled with a mix of arrogance and respect as she admitted that the plan was very reckless, but she liked it.

As the Dread teams got closer to the enemy fleet all of the carrier ships released the cube-types which immediately flew high above the battle zone and fused into a copy of the Nirvana placing the entire crew and the Dread pilots in a state of shock. Bart yelled to remind the crew that the fake is always weaker than the original, but Magno told him to calm down as the battle began.

As Jay, Vandread Jura, Meia and Dita sped towards the oncoming fleet Jay felt a strong pulse in his mind his survival instincts were telling him something. Quickly turning his fighter around Jay yelled "Everyone evasive action now! Pull back!"

He was too late as the fake Nirvana charged its weapon and fired at the Dread teams, missing the Wyvernn, but grazing both Dita's and Meia's dread. Both of the pilots froze in fear when they realized how unique a sensation the pain was sending through them. It was just like in the dream they all shared a few months ago.

The battle quickly heated up as the Nirvana put up its shields and the Dread teams flew into battle. The flagship continued to release small arms fire as Jay weaved in and out of its lasers before firing one of his burst missiles which impacted on its surface and managed to destroy and disable many of its outer weapons.

Making a quick glance at his radar Jay saw Vandread Jura moving into position so he quickly withdrew from the area as the Vandread scattered its discs around and contained the enemy fleet inside its shield. Hibiki cheered "Yeah how do ya like that can hardly move at all can ya".

Jay felt another pulse in his mind and knew what was about to happen and quickly activated the Wyvernn's space leap which caused his ship to enter hyperspace for half a second jumping the ship hundreds of yards forward to safe distance "Everyone move now! Get out of there!" he yelled just before his ship jumped. After his Wyvernn jumped the momentum increased ten fold and slung Jay forward when the jump was finished smashing his left shoulder against the console of his ship.

Jay yelled in pain before trying to move his arm. Moving his arm just slightly Jay almost doubled over as an indescribable pain shot through his arm and focused in his shoulder "Pull out we need to retreat!" he yelled through his pain as he tried to fly back to the Nirvana.

The fake Nirvana charged its weapon again and fired, this time the dark red beam split and made direct hits on each of the Vandread's discs destroying the shield before the lasers arched around and hit the Vandread itself knocking Jura against the console rendering her unconscious and Hibiki unharmed.

Hibiki reached over to Jura to get her up, but after he touched her he saw blood on his hand and realized it was Jura's. Barnette became enraged at Jura's condition and recklessly flew into the enemy fleet firing everything she had in blind fury.

Gascogne contacted Barnette and told her to fall back for a retreat the harvest fleet was too powerful for them to handle. "What about Jura we can't just leave her like that!" Barnette yelled. Gascogne remaining as calm as always said "There's no way you can win when you're this hot headed. Consider this a direct order return to the ship".

Gascogne didn't wait for Barnette's decision she sent out three trail beams that shielded the three Dreads as well as Vandread Jura and pulled them back to the Nirvana with Jay flying next to them.

After returning to the Nirvana Jura was rushed to the infirmary with Dita, Hibiki and Barnette following after her. Meia waited at the foot of Jay's Wyvernn worried about his injury. Inside the Wyvernn's cabin Jay removed his belt and wrapped it over his right shoulder and under his left arm. Resting his left arm across his chest and on the edge of his belt Jay slowly climbed out of his fighter and down to the floor.

"Jay!" Meia cried seeing the makeshift sling he made out of his belt. Jay quickly walked over to the wall of the hangar and asked Meia to grab his left elbow and lift it up so it would be even with his shoulder. As Meia began moving his arm Jay gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes in pain trying his best not to scream. After holding his arm level his shoulder Meia asked what she should do next and Jay told her to angle his arm back about three inches and after he braced himself against the wall to push inward with all her strength. Jay placed his good arm against the hangar wall and took a painful breath "Go" he said before closing his eyes to ready himself.

Meia pushed forward with as much strength as she could muster and popped Jay's arm back into its shoulder joint. The second his arm was back in pace Jay threw his back into the wall and clenched at his arm as he slid down the wall in pain "Thank you Meia" he panted.

In the infirmary Jura was hooked up to various machines that were monitoring her pulse and vitals all of which were very weak. "She's bleeding profusely. She'll pull through just fine on her own, but as for that wound on her abdomen…" Duelo's voice trailed off as he began thinking of how serious the injury was before Hibiki caught his attention.

"Just treat her so she doesn't have any scars ok doc". Duelo looked over to the young pilot and said reassuringly "You can trust Mejere's technological prowess for that. But what about you Hibiki shouldn't we look at that injury on your arm?"

Hibiki gently grabbed his injury and said "Its nothing that needs to be looked at so don't worry about me". The doctor looked back at the young teen with a darkened expression "I'm afraid I cannot allow that. I'll need you personal information so I know how to treat you".

Hibiki glared at him as he ripped his I.D. card from his neck and threw it to him "Fine do whatever you want" he growled. Hibiki walked over to the wall and slammed his fist on it as he began blaming himself for what happened. Dita tried to argue his words, but he snapped at her telling her to keep quiet. From the doorway Gascogne told him not to take it out on her before asking what happened to his usual good humor he used to lighten a bad mood.

After looking around at each of the pilots she continued "It's so gloomy around here there's no point in me hanging around". Just as Gascogne was about to leave, Barnette said something that stopped her. "Why did you refuse that delivery? I wanted to keep fighting for Jura's sake".

Gascogne glared an icy dagger at Barnette before she slammed her hand on the table and yelled "Answer me Ms. Gasco!"

Gascogne spoke in her same calm tone "It's because you would be dying a fool's death." Barnette's response was shrouded in fear "But we can't win without fighting and if we don't win, we're all going to die anyway!" Gascogne went on "At that point, the mission was a failure. It's the job of those behind the scenes to help those who forget how the show is supposed to run". Barnette voice became enraged "How can you be so cold?"

Hibiki scoffed "Yeah, it's all fine when you are sitting from a nice safe distance. The feelings of those fighting on the front line can never be understood!" Both Gascogne and Barnette look at Hibiki as he continued "You always stand there with a smirk on your face, making sarcastic remarks about our failures. There's no way someone like you can understand those desperate to survive! There's no way someone like you can understand someone's pain!" After he said that the room fell silent with a dark tension that seemed to cover everyone except Gascogne and Duelo in fear.

Gascogne spoke up to break the silence "This is so pointless. What's the point in making excuses? I'll be sarcastic as I want if it means we survive, if it makes you happy, then go ahead and take all the chances you want after your life in this world ends!" Pausing to walk over to the young dark-haired pilot she stared at him straight in the eyes "But you can count me out of it! I'll clench my teeth and make sure I survive it all!"

After those words Gascogne left the infirmary just as Jay and Meia arrived. "I could here you idiots from down the hall" Jay said angrily as he rolled his left shoulder back his face twisting in pain as it moved "So who do I lecture first?"

Hibiki took that as a threat and snapped at him saying that he was no different than Gascogne knowing nothing of the pain of others and always acting like nothings wrong. The second he finished speaking Jay bolted over to him and leveled him with an uppercut before dropping his elbow down on his chest "I'd choose my words more carefully if I were you" Jay growled as he got up and used Hibiki's shirt collar to pull him up off the ground "You seem to forget that I've lost everything in my life except Kira. Both of my parents and one of my closest friends have died in this war. If there's anyone here who doesn't know anything about true pain its YOU!"

Jay turned around and slammed Hibiki into the wall before getting in his face and glaring into his eyes "So the next time you open your mouth to me in anger you'd better be ready to run. Because the next time you make that mistake will be your last act in this life".

Meia had seen enough and pulled Jay away from him before taking him out of the infirmary and back to the crew quarters where Jay had moved into his new room. "Jay I know how annoying Hibiki can get, but you can't attack him like that". Jay cut her off "I know I was just caught in the heat of the moment and that was the only way I could think of to teach him that lesson. He doesn't understand words he understands action. That boy is a good pilot, but he's a fool nothing more".

Meia placed her hand on Jay's chest before taking his and placing it on her own chest "Please. For me restrain yourself from those acts" Meia stopped for a second to think about what she was going to say "He's not the only one who's afraid of you when you do things like that" Looking into his eyes Meia showed him the fear that was hidden behind her gaze "Jay when you get like that I…I become afraid of you, like you just became the kind of person who would harm others for the hell of it".

Meia's eyes began tearing which made Jay embrace her tightly "I'm sorry Meia. I won't let you see that again. I don't like it when you're scared. I want you to stay happy".

In Gascogne's room she took the small metal stick she kept in her mouth and tightly gripped it in her fist which forced it into the shape of a key. Starring at the key in her hand Gasco began recalling memories of her and her older sister when they were kids and many of the things they did before she died.

Back outside Jay's room BC had just contacted the both of them telling them that the enemy had surrounded the Nirvana and cut off their escape route. Meia gave Jay a quick worried look, but after seeing the look in his eyes she knew he had a plan.

As the pilots launched into space for round two they saw the remaining cube types begin forming into another enemy. "Dammit" Jay yelled "They've already got the Vandreads and the Nirvana against us what else can they use?" Jay froze when he realized what they were doing "Aw Hell" he said when saw the silhouette of the new enemy "These bastards are gonna pay for this one. Everyone stick to the plan, this guy just issued a challenge that I can't ignore".

Jay separated from the team and flew off towards the new enemy a copy of the ArchAngel.

Jay evaded the fake ArchAngel's sword arm and released several missiles at is head and chest regions to deal as much damage as possible and hopefully blind it. After making another turn Jay saw the fake ArchAngel raising its right arm and he immediately pulled out of his dive just as the beam fired and swept past him narrowly missing his fuselage. "Die!" he yelled as he emptied his entire payload onto his target destroying it in a missive explosion.

Behind him the dread teams were providing cover for Vandread Meia as it sped into the battle and pierced its way through many of the enemies. Just as the Vandread turned its attention to the flagship the fake Nirvana got between them and began opening its top layer and radiating the same dark red light that seemed to strike fear in them.

The fake Nirvana began transforming and soon turned into a giant humanoid machine that fired a massive red beam towards the Dreads, each of them just barely managing to avoid being hit. Barnette was too close to the enemy and didn't have time to pull out before she was caught in its hand. Dita cried out to her as the giant machine started crushing her Dread, in a desperate act to free herself Barnette released her entire payload at the new enemy, but nothing seemed to work.

Just as her canopy began to give way under the immense pressure a delivery ship flew into the fight and unleashed a wave a missiles at the enemy shaking Barnette free. "Sorry about that" Gascogne said as she flew by the now freed Barnette "Did I go too far for someone who works behind the scenes?"

Gascogne didn't have time to enjoy her sarcasm as one of the enemy Dreads impaled her delivery ship followed by the new machine doing the same. Gasco shuddered from the pain, but managed to keep her smile as she drag the massive enemy into the weakened and exposed hull of the flagship consuming them both in an un-scalable explosion.

The sight of the event sent a wave of fear through all the pilots and the crew on the Nirvana...Gascogne was gone.


	13. Destruction

Everyone. The entire crew on the Nirvana and the pilots out in space watched in horror as Ms. Gasco's impaled delivery ship made a last ditch turn and forced the harvest mecha to collide with it's mothership creating a massive explosion that destroyed them both. The only sound left was Barnette's frantic crying of Gasco's name.

On the bridge however BC quickly snapped out of her shock and cried "Ezra!" Ezra quickly activated her terminal and attempted to contact Gascogne, but there was no answer not even so much as static responded.

The pilots before the ship had lost the morale and the enemy began taking control of the battle. Jay had emptied his entire payload to deal with a Harvest copy of the ArchAngel and only had his fighter's guns left. After witnessing Gasco's death memories of Jay's past began flooding back to him he began reliving every loss and every death he saw since the war with the harvest fleet began. Looking down at his right hand as he gripped the Wyvernn's flightstick he realized that he was shaking uncontrollably "Dammit just calm down focus" he grunted at himself as he grabbed his right hand to keep it from shaking.

Hibiki flaring with anger separated from Meia and charged towards the harvest alone. Before he could engage the enemy Barnette cut him off "We're never going to win if we're so impulsive". After disengaging the wings from her Dread Barnette ordered the pilots to return to the Nirvana for a full scale retreat.

In the helmsman portal Bart felt something change and as he looked to find out what a short surge shocked him before the ship took over once again it threw Bart from the helmsman portal and turned around before fleeing from the battle at full speed with the Dread teams following after it, everyone expect Jay.

"Jay!" Meia cried after seeing his position on the radar "What's wrong? Jay!"

Jay's hands were still shaking and regardless of what his mind said he couldn't move his body just wouldn't listen to him. "Dammit. I don't have time for this, I need to get out of here I need to retreat" he growled as he tried to move his arms, but they felt heavier than a mountain.

Meia stopped her Dread and turned around in spite of everyone calling out to her "I'm not leaving him" she said as she charged back towards the battle. The silver Wyvernn was alone and defenseless its damage capacity was slowly rising with each hit from the harvest drones flying around it. 'Damage at 63%' the female voice of the monitoring systems announced after another hit from the harvest drones.

Overhearing the damage level of Jay's fighter Meia called his name in an attempt to bring him back to reality, but nothing happened. Continuing her plea for him to wake up Meia was hit by a stray laser from a cube type before getting rammed by another from her flank knocking her against her control console. With a grunt of pain Meia called Jay's name one last time her voice shrouded in deepest fear.

Inside the Wyvernn Jay was still frozen mentally yelling at himself to move. _"Jay, I believe in you"_ Kira's voice said in his head. Jay quickly looked up to his left where Kira would be if they were in formation and then to his side which was her position when ArchAngel was formed "Kira" he muttered in a frightened voice. "Jay!" Meia's voice cried one last time after she was hit by the cube type.

Snapping his head back Jay yelled "Meia!" Turning his Wyvernn around Jay quickly shot down the cube type that was targeting Meia before retreating along side her "Meia get in closer" he said as he began activating the space leap program for his Wyvernn "Once I got you hooked to my ship brace yourself and don't let go until we're back in the hangar" he told her before firing a tow cable from behind the Wyvernn which hooked to Meia's Dread.

With the two ships now connected Meia braced herself as Jay flipped the auto pilot switch on before activating the space jump and quickly bracing himself against the low lying bar behind his pilot's seat.

Hanging onto the bar Jay closed his eyes as the Wyvernn with Meia's Dread in tow jumped to hyperspace before dropping out the next second right next to the Nirvana's hangar. Just as the two ships dropped out of Hyperspace the momentum that built up was too much for Jay to hold his ground and he was thrown forward smacking the side of his head against the canopy of his fighter.

The Wyvernn's autopilot sequence landed the ship in the Nirvana's hangar before deactivating.

On the bridge Belvedere announced the presence of a high expanding gas nebula that was directly in front of them right in their flightpath. After entering the nebula Aramone said "We're inside the nebula. We are beginning to experience very considerable effects on the system". BC gritted her teeth in anger turn around or keep going, either way their chances of survival seemed less than none.

Inside the hangar the last of the Dreads had been docked and Meia contacted the captain to inform her of the situation before apologizing for Gasco's death. The captain dismissed her apology telling her to let it go before following up and telling her to remain on standby. Shutting off the screen Meia slammed her fist against the controls of her Dread as her old self began rising again "I thought I'd become strong enough to not let anything faze me".

On the bridge Belvedere noticed that Jay's vital signs had shifted before dropping to an unsafe level. After she informed BC of his condition the sub commander immediately recalled the last time Jay's vital signs went crazy and quickly ordered the hangar crew to get him out of his ship to check his condition.

Overhearing the command on her radio Meia looked ahead of her to Jay's Wyvernn which was still sitting in a standby position. Jumping out of her Dread Meia rushed over to the Wyvernn just as a few members of the hangar team arrived to force the canopy open. Riding the hover lift with the hangar team Meia froze when she saw the heavy blood stain on the side on the canopy. As the hangar team quickly went to work to force open the hatch Meia's mind became enveloped with fear at the thought of not only Gasco's death, but Jay's as well.

After the canopy was forced open one of the hangar team ordered for a medical cart Jay needed immediate medical attention.

Inside the cabin of the silver fighter Jay was lying over the controls completely unconscious and just above his right eye was a heavy flow of blood which the hangar crew quickly covered as best they could.

Inside the darkened infirmary Barnette was sitting at Jura's bedside regretting that she never apologized to Gascogne before her death. Tightly closing her eyes she cried until she felt someone wipe the tears from her eye. Opening her eyes Barnette was surprised to see Jura awake "The Barnette I know is much stronger and cuter than that".

Before Barnette could enjoy Jura's words the infirmary door slid open and Duelo quickly removed the curtains that surrounded Jura's bed "Sorry for the interruption, but we need to make room" he said calmly before looking at the door "Bring him over here hurry".

Looking over to the doorway both Barnette and Jura's eyes widened in shock when they saw Jay unconscious on a medical cart as the two crew members rolled him against the wall and next to a vital monitor. Quickly walking over to his new patient the young doctor removed the pulse scanner from his pocket and began slowly moving it over Jay's body.

After a few minutes of checking Duelo confirmed that Jay had not only a concussion, but the upper right part of his skull was fractured and a piece of the damaged bone also damaged some of the nerves above his right eye. "His condition will stabilize itself, but as for his injuries more specifically the ones to his nerves there's not much I can do for that" Duelo admitted darkly to BC from his chair at the medical computer.

BC lowered her head slightly and sighed sadly "Very well just do what you can for him and update me on any changes to his condition". After she finished speaking she turned off the radio and looked up at the captain who gave her a single nod "Don't worry about that one BC he's very strong he'll pull through eventually". BC lowered her head to the side "I wish I shared your optimism captain, but we've already lost one person today and another would only add to the crew's despair and I can't imagine what kind of impact it would have on Meia".

The captain closed her eyes as she agreed with BC "I've seen my fair share of dark things in my life. And I remember how Meia was before we took in Hibiki and the other two; slowly she changed and became more open. And after Jay and Kira joined us she had changed completely she's living her life to the fullest now she's no longer fighting the fear of her past her newfound life is all thanks to that young man we happened upon months ago. His strength had become Meia's the two of them were destined to meet I just know it. And that's also how I know he'll pull through" the captain paused to look down at her sub commander "Fate may be cruel BC, but there are some things that even fate cannot control such as one person's will to live especially one such as young Jay".

"_I hope you're right captain"_ BC thought as she turned around to monitor the situation of the nebula.

In the infirmary Duelo was checking and considering his available treatment options for Jay's condition and was relived to see that there was something he could do that had a high enough chance of healing his injuries. As the doctor continued to work Meia had stepped into the doorway looked at Jay as he lied completely still locked away from the outside world.

Seeing Jay like this scared Meia on different levels both emotionally and mentally. Emotionally because she loved him and was afraid of the thought of another person she cared about dying and mentally because she swore to Kira that she would be there to protect Jay to be his new pillar of strength and with him in his current condition she realized that she had failed.

In the darkened Reg Central Hibiki enters the room and walks over to the table where he and Gascogne we're playing poker before the enemy attack. Seeing something move at the edge of the table he watched as a small mushroom shaped puppet was raised over the edge and a voice said "Smile, smile". Dita slowly peeked her head over the edge of the table to see if the young pilot was smiling, but no such luck. "What do you think you're doing?" he said angrily.

Dita smiled timidly, but that only angered Hibiki further "How can you be smiling at a time like this!"

Dita sadly answered "It's because I don't know how". Looking down at the edge of the table she explained "When I was alone. When the unit I was living in was shut down everyone had hard looks on their faces just like they do now. But whenever I made a mistake or said something strange everyone laughed. So now I just don't want everyone to be sad. I just want them to keep laughing".

Hibiki's eyes began shifting, but before he could say anything to her, the door behind him slid open and Barnette entered the room and lowered her head "Why? Tell me why Hibiki. Why didn't you try to save Ms. Gasco?"

Hibiki glared at the green haired pilot "What was that?" he growled.

Barnette snapped and yelled "You should've been able to do it".

"Are you saying this is my fault?" Hibiki retaliated.

Just as the two pilots began arguing Dita jumped up and slammed her hands on the table telling them to stop knocking over the timer setting it off. Looking down at the timer as it continued to sound Hibiki heard Gascogne's words in his head "It's your turn. Show me your hand". The young pilot tightened his fists as he looked up "All right I'll show you. Get everyone down here now time for a tactical meeting".

A short time later BC entered the now lit Reg Central and looked around at Hibiki, Dita, Misty, Barnette and Meia along with several other crew members "What's this about?"

Hibiki quickly spoke up "I've figured out a way to completely shut down the enemy's mothership".

The sub commander looked at the young raven haired teen with a raised eyebrow "And how exactly?"

Misty stepped forward and showed the capsule they found with her inside the cold sleep pod a couple of months ago "With this".

BC obviously recognized what was in her hand "That's the capsule from Pluto".

The young girl nodded "That's right. A virus that eats up the paksis we can beat it with this".

Hibiki immediately asked her if it was ready and she said it was all they had to do was make Pryoro eat it. The tiny navibot didn't like the idea as it started freaking out and saying it didn't want to be separated from Pryoro 2. Ezra quickly snatched her baby from the navibot and corrected it once again that her name was Meimei.

Meia looked over to Hibiki and pointed out that for them to get to the enemy mothership they had to get past the cube types. "You let me worry about that part" a strained voice said from the doorway.

Everyone in the room looked at the doorway and saw Jay leaning against it with a bandage around his forehead and a determined look they had never seen before "With a little help on Parfet's part I'll make sure you have all the time you need".

BC looked at Jay and the way he was leaning against the wall and knew he was in no condition to go out again "I'm afraid in your current condition I cannot allow you to go back into battle".

Jay looked over to her and smiled "I'm well aware of my condition. I never said I'd be going into battle. I just said I'd make sure they'd have the time they need. Rearm my ship and I'll pilot it from the hangar the cube types will have their hands full with the Wyvernn while you Barnette" Shifting his eyes to Barnette Jay's smile widened "You'll carry Parfet's new weapon into battle".

That settled things Hibiki looked back at all the people gathered in the Registry and slammed his fist into his open hand "All right then. Let's get em!"

With everyone regaining their confidence preparations for the operation began and Jay pushed off of the doorway to make his way to the hangar, but the nerve damage he suffered was still fresh and he had trouble keeping his sight based balance. Stumbling to the side he was caught by Meia who lifted his arm over her shoulder "Remember we're in this together" she said as she helped him to the elevator.

Jay smiled as he saw the fierce determination in his lover's eyes "I wouldn't think of going into battle without you again. You're what gives me the strength I need to fight Meia".

After entering the hangar Meia quickly helped Jay set a remote piloting system for the Wyvernn before launching herself into battle with the Wyvernn right behind her.

Meia took the lead in formation with Jay setting the Wyvernn in formation right next to her as she ordered the operation to begin. "Once we're within range of the enemy I'll engage them and draw as much fire as I can. It's up to you two to make sure this works" Jay said as he controlled the Wyvernn from the hangar.

Jay quickly shifted the Wyvernn to full speed and flew straight through the enemy infested area ahead of them releasing several missiles and specials weapons in all frontal directions scattering and destroying the front lines of the enemy's advancing fleet. "You're on Barnette let's see how well you can perform on your own".

Barnette, Hibiki and Meia flew through the scattered enemy line with Barnette leading them patiently holding her hand over the trigger for the EMP weapon that Parfet designed. "Now!" she cried as she fired the weapon toward the center of the enemy formation disabling the machines "It worked perfectly Parfet" she said as Meia and Hibiki combined and sped through the defenseless enemy lines.

Meia ordered Dita and Barnette to follow them while they continued to fly towards the harvest flagship. Only a few seconds after being shut down the harvest fleet awakened and began attacking again, but Bart had opened the Nirvana launch bays and unleashed a barrage of lasers that shot down all cube types that tried to block their way in "Just leave the little ones to me" the helmsman eagerly said as he readied himself for another shot.

Evading a blast from the harvest mecha Vandread Meia entered the hole in the flagship followed by Dita, Barnette and the Wyvernn. "HA! Now this is the kind of flying I'm best at tight spaces" Jay cheered as he easily maneuvered his fighter through the enclosed space making it look like child's play to the other pilots "Infiltration successful moving in on the heart of the enemy now".

Inside the flagship the pilots were greeted by a barrage of defensive laser blasts, but the combined fire power of Barnette's Dread and Jay's Wyvernn silenced the enemy fire giving them safe passage for most of the way. After passing the half point Barnette was hit by a single laser burst and her Dread began to fall behind, but she told them to keep going that she would catch up to them.

Entering the core of the flagship Meia separated from Hibiki to aid Jay and Barnette in dealing with any enemies that would come after them while Vandread Dita took over. Pryoro quickly dove down towards the central part of the core and began working on placing the virus while Vandread Dita used itself as a shield to cover him.

A massive hole was ripped in the side on the flagship as the giant harvest mecha began forcing its way inside. "This one is mine" Jay yelled as he turned his attention towards the mecha and began firing missile after missile at the enemy's chest and head regions. The giant mecha was about to swat Barnette's Dread down, but thanks to a last second interference from Jura she was saved.

"Don't drag your heels hurry up and finish it" the blonde pilot said as she joined the fray.

Duelo contacted her to remind her that her painkillers would be wearing off soon which the blonde pilot was well aware of. "Hey Hibiki, Dita aim for its feet while we draw its fire" Jay said as the four pilots distracted the mecha from the Vandread.

After Vandread Dita shot out the support arcs the mecha was using to stand on the evil machine came crashing down and seemed to sustain sufficient damage. "That's it virus launched!" Pryoro cried as the virus quickly began attacking the core of the mothership.

"Time to leave…" Jay stopped when he saw a bright red aura emanating from the damaged harvest mecha as it got back to an upright position and fired it's main weapon which not only tore through Vandread Dita, but severely damaged Meia and Jura's Dread and grazing Barnette's. Jay's survival instincts allowed him to keep the Wyvernn undamaged, but he only had one bomb left and he knew it wasn't going to do much against the giant before them.

Both Meia and Jura looked down to Barnette's ship and told her that she should leave while she had the chance, but Barnette didn't want to hear it. She refused to leave anyone behind. "It's ok" Dita said in a scared, but calm voice "We won't lose. We can't because I don't want to see everyone with those sad faces ever again".

Barnette was in tears over the situation she didn't know what she could do to help them, but she couldn't watch either. The harvest mecha charged its main weapon again to make the final blow and fired at the defenseless ships in front of it. The entire core was engulfed in a blinding light before an explosion erupted form inside the flagship and contact with the infiltration team was lost.

Jay knew it wasn't over he could sense it something had just awakened within the flagship and it wasn't the enemy it was a new light that would lead them to victory. Emerging from the light that engulfed the core was a new mecha with a mixed color scheme of silver, green and blue a giant humanoid shaped mecha now stood before the enemy and it radiated power. "Amazing" Jay said under his breath as he watched from the Wyvernn's battle camera "They all combined into one".

Inside the new mecha Jura was on the lower portion and had most of the controls which she moaned about while in the center section Hibiki sat with Dita in his lap and Meia with her back to them and he own set of controls. "Let's finish this!" Hibiki yelled as the enemy made another attack.

Jura freaked out and slammed her hands on the controls in front of her and the new Super Vandread slammed its hands together before throwing its right arm out and forming a shield in front of its hand which blocked the incoming laser barrage. "Let's show them our true power!" Hibiki yelled as the Super Vandread once again placed its hands together and began harnessing the paksis energy that coursed through it. Holding its arm out a crystallized sword formed and the new mecha charged forward with the full hearts of its pilots behind it and with a single swing destroyed the enemy's mecha for good.

With the battle finally over and the harvest fleet before them completely offline the Vandread separated and everyone returned home. As Jay waited at the base of Meia's dread he wondered how much power the new machine truly had and if it could stand up to the ArchAngel. Another thought that crossed his mind was if this new Vandread and the ArchAngel were to lead a fight against the harvest there would be no chance for the enemy to win.

As Meia climbed down from her dread Jay met her with an excited embrace that reawakened his pain "Ow ow ow" he repeated as he let go of Meia and gently massaged his left arm "That was amazing. We won!" he cheered.

Meia smiled at him playfully "Of course we did. Did you expect otherwise?"

Jay shook his head "Of course not. I just didn't expect that to happen" he wrapped his right arm around her and held her to him before moving his arm down to her waist "With this victory we've bought ourselves a lot of time. The harvest won't give up, but they'll think hard before attacking us again".

Meia smiled as he released her and kissed him before they left the hanger walking shoulder to shoulder.

On the bridge BC informed the captain that the crew was requesting a funeral service for Gascogne. The captain agreed to the request, but left BC in charge of it telling her to inform her when it was to begin as she retreated to her room.

In the captain's room Magno opened a medium sized cabinet that contained crystal cased pictures of crew members that died over the years and placed one of Gascogne in the front of the top row. The door to her room slid open and Barnette entered holding a jewelry box from Gasco's room.

At the day's end Barnette had contacted the bridge and informed them that she was going to be changing the security codes and that the Registry would be unavailable for a while "Thanks for understanding" she immediately said before shutting off the screen.

BC seemed really confused as to what Barnette was talking about until Magno explained that Barnette volunteered to take over Gascogne's position as the Reg leader.

Hours later Jay was back in the hangar and sitting in the pilot seat of his Wyvernn while he recorded a message "You're not going to believe it, but even after all that happened today our hearts and our will to keep fighting made what happened possible. It wasn't the paksis entirely; it was mostly due to the fact that at that last second they all shared the same thought to see that battle through. To keep living after they won and end this war. It was at that point the paksis heard the call and answered their wish, a Super Vandread and its power was overwhelming I could feel it even from the Nirvana".

Jay stopped and placed his hand over his chest "This war is far from over, but we've gained a massive victory today and we're continuing our journey back to Mejere. Kira I want you to meet us there we'll reunite in Mejerian space and from there we'll march on Earth and finish this for good".

After he finished recording the message he added the video he captured form his Wyvernn's camera and transmitted the message to the Emerald's Edge before looking over at the dreads and the vanguard. "Hey Jay the funeral is starting" Meia's voice called to him.

Jay got out of his fighter and lowered himself to the floor "Right we can't miss that now" he said holding his hand out to her. After Meia took his hand they both leaned their heads against one another and left the hanger to attend Gascogne's funeral service.


	14. Every Heart

The crew of the Nirvana's day started off a little different than normal. While an alarm was sounding throughout the ship it wasn't an enemy attack that caused it, something had happened within the ship more specifically the brig or what had become known as the men's quarters.

Several pipe lines ruptured which flooded the men's quarters leaving them in an uncomfortable situation. While Paiway rowed her way through the flooded area on a rubber raft both Hibiki and Bart fell off their beds and into the water watching in annoyance as Paiway snapped a picture of both of them with her camera before using her frog puppet to say "Hey look fishies".

Noticing that Duelo was cramping himself against the wall side of his bed while clutching at a stack of books in his arms while reading another she gave him a curious look before he told her that it was bad for humans to chill the lower half of their bodies.

Once he said that the water pipe above him ruptured drenching him and his books, which made the young nurse laugh until the same happened to her seconds later.

Shortly after leaving their quarters the three Tarak men went to the infirmary to wrap themselves in thermal blankets to get warm. Duelo was well enough to not need one, but both Hibiki and Bart were double wrapped and sneezing.

"Sucks to be you two doesn't it" Jay said as he walked past them and to the back of the med bay.

Misty who was standing at the door peaked in to see if Hibiki was there, once she saw him she donned a childish smile before entering the room and offering him a pink towel and a place in her room to stay.

Angrily refusing the offer Hibiki stormed out ranting "A warrior may not be able to eat, but he can hold out".

After the young pilot left Duelo commented by saying "He's more like a spoiled brat".

Emerging from the back of the medical closet Jay had a roll of gauze in his hand and was quickly wrapping it around his left arm with a holding clip in the corner of his mouth "He is a fool and an imbecile. His potential is more downhill than up" he muttered through his teeth as he finished wrapping the gauze around his arm.

After setting the clip at the edge of the bandage he continued "Social wise anyway".

"What happened to your arm?" Bart ask just as the white haired pilot was about to leave.

Jay stopped in the doorway and glanced over his shoulder "The usual. Routine maintenance".

After Jay left Misty quickly ran out after him calling Hibiki's name trying to catch up with him while Parfet entered the room commenting on the way Misty seems to always be so cheerful.

Duelo gave her a friendly look and apologized for troubling her, but Parfet dismissed the thought saying that it was her line not his "Until I'm done you could come over to my room if you want"

Duelo declined the offer while thanking her for the sentiment before stating that he feels more at home in the med bay just as an anatomical doll fell onto his shoulder.

Deciding not to comment any further on the situation Parfet left to work on the water pipes in the men's quarters just as Meia came in and asked if either of them had seen Jay.

"I would imagine he's back in the hangar by now" Duelo said to her as he returned his eyes to the book he was reading.

"Thanks" Meia said in an emotionless tone as she walked away.

Bart stared at the empty doorway fro a few seconds before looking over his shoulder at Duelo "Have you noticed that she's become a lot more social than when we first got here? And even more so after Jay arrived on the ship".

Duelo silently turned the page in his book before commenting "I've seen similar situations, but not often. As a doctor I don't deal with psychological situations, but medical ones. Although I can say with some degree of certainty that Meia's change in personality is probably a combined result of Hibiki's rashness in battle and Jay's overall perspective on any given situation".

Bart questioned "But both of their traits are the complete opposite of what she was like when we first met her. She was coordinated and completely shut off from the rest of the crew".

The young doctor turned another page in his book before responding in the same nonchalant tone "It's probably due to the traumatic events in her past. Often times when someone experiences traumatic events like she did and then later in life meets someone who has been through similar or the same events, but has a completely different world perspective one can be easily drawn to that person. Male or female it doesn't really matter, in the end we're all human and humans have a natural connection with others who have been through what they have".

Throughout the rest of the day both Dita and Misty continued to vie for Hibiki's attention and eventual affection much to the young pilot's aggravation.

In the hangar bay Jay finished sending another message to the Emerald's Edge before powering down his ship and climbing down only to be met by Meia "How we doing?" he asked her with a more than usual affectionate smile.

Meia kept the same emotionless tone she had earlier as she spoke "I've been thinking a lot about and your Wyvernn, something just doesn't seem right about it, especially in our recent battles. The ship seems to have a mind of its own at times and even powers up on its own occasionally".

Jay shrugged his head to the side "Maybe its haunted or something, but I've noticed it as well. Ever since the battle against the Sorcerer everything just feels different. I keep hearing a voice in my head as well. It tells me things like to never give up or your heart is your strength. I don't know if I'm going crazy or if there's really something to this ship that I don't know about" Jay fell silent as he turned around to look at the silver Wyvernn behind him.

Returning his eyes to Meia he knew that there was something else on her mind and asked her "That's not all you wanted to say. There's something more that's bothering you isn't there?"

Meia nodded as she placed her hand over her eye where a shard of the peksis lodged itself within the outer layer of her brain not long after the Nirvana first began its journey "I've been having dreams coming to me more and more often, dreams that wake me in the middle of the night and when they do all I can feel is terror. I can never remember what the dreams are about, but each night they become more and more clear. I'm…I'm just worried something is going to happen soon".

Jay had several guesses as to what her dreams were about, but decided it was best not to bring any of them to her attention since it would most likely frighten her more instead he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him before wrapping his other around her back and over her shoulder "If something bad does happen Meia I'll be right there beside you and we can face it together".

After a few minutes alone both pilots left the hangar walking side by side as they talked. Just as they passed by the conference room Dita came sprinting out of the door way silently crying while the other women in the room were gasping and frantically cheering like high school girls as they watched Misty feed Hibiki from the monitors.

Looking over at the women at the monitor and then down the hall to Dita just as she rounded the corner Jay sighed and shook his head "I'll go talk to her think you can handle them?" he asked nodding over to the women.

Meia nodded and Jay walked away down the hall following after Dita.

Hearing Misty taunting Dita, Jay stopped at the corner and listened to what she said before watching the following event of Misty slapping a glass alien doll out of Dita's hand which shattered on the floor. After a brief argument and tug of war over Hibiki whose constant struggling sent him into the wall he angrily stormed off yelling he had enough of both of them. After Hibiki stormed off Misty blamed Dita for it before leaving herself.

Jay still standing behind the corner moved both of his hands up and down weighing his thoughts as he toyed with the thought of strapping both Hibiki and Misty to a wall on separate ends of the ship.

After realizing that such an act would ultimately solve nothing he stepped around the corner only to see that Dita had already entered her room.

Standing just outside her doorway Jay could hear her crying and silently gathered his thoughts before knocking on the door "Dita can we talk?"

Hearing Jay's voice Dita snapped her head up and opened her door before throwing herself at Jay and crying into his shoulder "What am I doing wrong Jay? No matter what I do I just can't get Mr. Alien to spend time with me".

Taking Dita inside her room and sitting her at the edge of her bed Jay sat next to her as she continued to cry silently.

"I'm not really good at these particular situations, but I can tell you this much Dita" Jay began as he gently placed his arm around her shoulder "Hibiki is an arrogant person, he's impatient and extremely impulsive that's why he storms off and always gets annoyed easily. But I know he has a warm heart he just doesn't know how to listen to it. I've never really been in the same dilemma as you having to compete for someone's attention, but I know it's hard for you".

Dita rested her head on Jay's shoulder.

"You're scared that you won't be able to compete with Misty because she's a lot calmer than you are and she seems to be better around Hibiki that's why you freeze up and begin thinking negatively until you do something rash like what happened in the hall, but that's nothing to be ashamed of. While you did go about it the wrong way you listened to your heart and that's never a bad thing. Listen Dita I know this will be hard to do while Misty continues to just flaunt about around Hibiki, but you can't force yourself to his side like she's doing".

Jay paused for a second thinking carefully of his next words as he knew if he said something in the wrong context it would shatter Dita's spirits.

"While it seems like Hibiki is getting along with her he's really not. It's the exact same as when he's around you. He's just got a one track mind and when food is involved especially cooking as good as yours he doesn't pay attention to anything else. If the meals weren't a factor he would push Misty away as much as he does you because she's trying to force herself into his heart which only ends with resentment. I know this is going to be hard for you to do, but you can't force yourself into his heart the same way she's doing. You have to wait for him to hear what his own feelings are before you can have a real relationship with him".

Dita pushed away from him and looked into his eyes tears still running down her face "But what about you and Meia? It didn't take nearly that long for the two of you to start liking each other it was barely more than a week after you got here".

Jay nodded in agreement "True, but relationships can be forged through countless means. Meia treated me the same way she treated the other men when I first got here. But after Kira was injured in that battle she saw how much alike we are. We both have traumatic pasts Dita and we've both lost so much, but we turned out differently our different perspectives is what attracted us to each other in the first place. It wasn't long after that until I realized how I really felt about her and when she realized how she really felt about me that's when it all started for us".

"So all I have to do is tell Mr. Alien how I really feel right? And then I can be with him?" the red haired pilot asked anxiously.

Shaking his head Jay told her "No. Unfortunately a person like Hibiki would hear what you're saying, but not understand it. So just going right up to him and telling him how you feel wouldn't do much".

"So what should I do!" Dita cried burying her face in her hands and crying again.

Jay placed his hand on her shoulder "You have to wait Dita. I know it's going to be hard for you, but when he finally realizes what's in his heart he'll return the same feelings you have for him it'll just take some time".

"Are you sure?" she asked removing her hands from her face, but still crying.

Jay nodded "I may not be able to see into the future or force him to listen to his heart, but I know what its saying to him. Trust me in due time he'll realize his feelings and he will pursue them and you".

After he finished Jay gently pulled Dita into a hug and told her that he'd stay with her until she felt better to which she was thankful as she continued to cry into his shoulder.

In the men's quarters Duelo was holding a ladder straight for Parfet as she continued her repairs of the water pipes, but since there were only two of them it was going to be a while. Entering the area Hibiki glared at both of them and angrily asked why the repairs weren't finished, to which Duelo while calm, but clearly annoyed said "They'd get finished a lot faster if you offered to help out".

Stating that plumbing was out of his league Hibiki was about to leave until Meia stopped him "The problem's not just your room is it?" she asked leaning against the wall "Even if you return to this room it won't solve your problem isn't that right?" she asked him with a cocky, but friendly smile.

"What are you trying to say?" Hibiki asked her with an irritated tone.

Meia dropped her smile and looked at the ankle high water they were standing in "We were raised to believe that men were are sworn enemies, but now we're helping each other out and in a way feeling that we can live together in the same system is starting to form. Furthermore there's an even greater feeling that's developing between you and Dita" making a small non threatening glance at Hibiki from the corner of her eye the blue haired pilot continued "I think you realize that yourself".

"So what do you want from me?" Hibiki asked blushing.

"We've never faced a situation like this before" Meia continued "But Hibiki Tokai would never run away from it. Isn't that right? You have to be honest with yourself, trust me that's the only solution here".

Once she finished speaking Meia walked away leaving a somewhat enlightened Hibiki behind "She's beginning to talk more and more these days" he sighed.

In the kitchen Dita and Ezra were sitting back to back while Ezra was knitting clothes for her baby Meimei and explaining her personal thoughts about Misty and Hibiki as individuals "Misty all alone, everything she knew is gone. Think about it, maybe she's just trying to make a friend with Hibiki. Just try being friends with her Dita".

Pyoro quickly appeared next to them with Meimei strapped to his back and trying to chew at the tip of his head "I told you paper diapers are unacceptable. Such things will cause rashes to Pyoro 2".

Jay was sitting backwards in a chair leaning against it back rest while reading a book labeled "The Invincible fleet" sighing he lowered the book and said "If he calls her Pyoro 2 one more time I'm strapping a grenade to him".

Closing his book Jay stood up and stretched his legs "I'm out of here. Dita take care all right" he said before leaving while humming the theme song to Gilligan's Island an old television show from the Earth days.

After a while of walking around Jay decided to return to the conference room and found that Jura had locked both Dita and Hibiki in the briefing room telling them that the door will remain locked until they talk their problems out.

"I'm not a fan of forcing solutions do you really think this is the best solution Jura?" he asked as he watched one of the monitors.

"No one asked your opinion so either put a sock in it or get out!" Jura yelled as she glared at the monitor.

"That's a yes then" Jay muttered as he sat down next to a monitor and opened his book again.

"So this is what's been going on in here all day" a voice said from the doorway.

The crew members except Jay looked over to see Misty standing there with her arms crossed below her chest "150 women all cheering on one girl. The pirates of Mejere really do value friendship don't they?"

Jura immediately became angry and told her "This is a good thing going here so don't try and ruin it!"

"Relax" Misty said unfolding her arms "I'm not as dumb to make enemies out of the entire crew. Besides the only reason I was fooling around with that boy is because I had nothing better to do" leaving the conference room Misty quickly ran down the hall as Meia followed after her.

In the dimly lit garden section of the ship Misty sat on the bench and began crying until Meia called her name.

Upon seeing Meia, Misty forced her tears to stop and said "What do you want now? If it's a lecture I don't feel like hearing it".

"There's no reason to act so tough and believe me you're never all by yourself when you're with us. We are all allies in the fight against the harvest…aren't we?"

Meia's words seemed to reach Misty almost immediately as she quickly jumped up from the bench and ran over to Meia tightly wrapping her arms around her and crying into her shoulder.

Back in the conference room Jura, Jay as well as various crew members were still watching Dita and Hibiki through the monitors as well as Duelo and Parfet who both agreed that "No one can work when this kind of thing is on".

"The water pipes" Dita finally said "I hope they get fixed soon".

"Uh…yea" Hibiki nodded "You know" Hibiki began.

Dita quickly turned around to face him with a hopeful smile as he continued.

"Well you know…how do I say it..."

As Hibiki struggled to find his words every crew member around the ship that was watching leaned closer to the monitor including Jay who had finally closed his book their anticipation weighing heavily in the ship's atmosphere.

Hibiki continued stuttering barely making legible words their conversation broken by the ship's alarm announcing an enemy attack.

"All right its go time!" Jay roared as he jumped up from his seat and bolted out of the conference room yelling "If they want some they can come get some!"

Around the ship everyone who had a part in battle returned to their station in preparation for the enemy attack.

In the garden Meia told Misty that she couldn't stay any longer which garnered an over the top loving reaction from Misty as she told her "Do your best dear sister".

Once all the pilots launched into battle Hibiki looked back at Dita and told her "Don't hang back slow poke let's show them what we got!"

Cheering loudly and happily Dita flew her Dread alongside Hibiki's Vanguard and the two of them combined into Vandread Dita before speeding off to meet the oncoming enemy.

* * *

**A/N.** Chapter 14 Ladies and Gentlemen. Read it, enjoy it and love it...or don't...

There are a couple of reason for the delay in updating Shattered Space and I'd like to confirm why. 1. Was I had to reformat my computer which involved me deleting "Everything" on it including my wireless internet software and it took me a long time to get it back.

The 2nd reason is a lack of motivation for the chapter, but I finally found it due to a real life experience that I recently went through and here it is.

The 3rd reason is I had a bit of food poisoning earlier this week and still suffering from the after effects which include massive and constant fatigue so I'm tired get off my back.

The next chapter will probably suffer a similar delay, but for different reasons mainly me wanting to update my other pieces rather than just one and personal issues that need resolving. Thanks for reading and goodnight.


	15. Surprise

Jay was sitting alone at a table in the cafeteria finishing the last few chapters in the book he was reading, moving his eyes over to the doors of the cafeteria he saw Meia enter. Moving his eyes over to Dita and a few other crew members at a nearby table he watched as they began panicking before attempting to hide something.

Sighing quietly he shook his head before returning his attention to his book just as Meia and Misty joined him.

"Everyone's acting crazy again" he complained as he turned a page.

"Yeah what's going on?" Misty asked.

"Tomorrow" Meia began before looking over to Misty and then to Jay "Happens to be my birthday".

"That explains it" Jay said over enunciating the first word before closing his book "So let me guess. They're planning a surprise party and you're going to try and avoid it and possibly escape the ship for a day right?"

Just as Meia raised her coffee mug to her lips she froze and gazed into Jay's blue eyes with surprise "Are you in on this?" she asked him slowly lowering her mug back down to the table.

Jay shook his head "Not at all" he said smiling peacefully "I can just tell you're not all that excited about it. And let us not forget that Kira does the same to me so I know what you're going through".

Misty giggled before commenting that Meia stoicism was cool made both Jay and Meia uncomfortable.

Gently whacking Misty on the head with his book Jay kept his eyes on Meia as he asked "How about we take the Wyvernn and fly away for a bit. Get away from all of this and just spend some time together?"

"I might take you up on that" Meia said before leaving Jay and Misty alone in the cafeteria.

After Meia left Jay smiled as he stood up "I may not be in on this whole thing, but part of me is enjoying how much this annoys her. I have to agree with you Misty. She's cutest when she's annoyed about something".

"Then why'd you hit me if you agree with me?" Misty asked him gently rubbing the spot on her head where Jay tapped her.

Jay didn't answer her as he walked away deciding to return to the hangar to finish the routine maintenance on his fighter. Once he summoned the elevator and the doors opened Dita, Hibiki and Paiway pushed him inside the elevator and shut the doors behind them.

"You know" Jay sighed "There's a fabulous phrase that you use when you're in a hurry its called excuse me" he continued in an annoyed tone.

"Jay!" Dita cried "We're planning a surprise party for Meia we want you to keep her busy and don't let her escape the ship all right?"

"Hold on let me think" Jay began before pausing for two seconds "No".

"What? Why not?" the red haired pilot asked.

"I'm staying out of it. Besides I've got work to do anyway so I'm busy for the day" he said as the elevator doors opened and he quickly slipped past them.

"Promise you won't tell Meia!" Dita called after him as the doors closed.

"She already knows so why would I?" Jay asked himself as he entered the hangar and walked over to his Wyvernn.

"Looks like I'll have to take you up on your offer" Meia's voice said from behind him.

Swiftly turning around Jay met Meia's eyes and smiled "Let me guess. You went to take your Dread, but it can't be used most likely because of repairs or upgrading. Am I right?"

Surprised by his guess Meia became suspicious that Jay was involved with the rest of the crew "If you're involved in this it won't end well for you" she told him.

Jay smirked as he turned around "Like I said. I have no interest in getting involved with this. I'm offering you a few hours away from the ship to avoid all this" he grunted before sliding open a control panel in the Wyvernn's cabin "You can get suspicious all you want. Or! You can help me with a few modifications and we can leave for the day your choice".

Resigning her argument, but not her suspicion Meia helped Jay make the modifications to his fighter, with the extra set of hands they finished in less than an hour.

"All right I'll go wash up and then we can leave" Jay said as he walked out of the hangar before BC bumped into him.

"Jay we've received a message from Kira. She claims it's urgent" the sub commander said in a more stern voice than usual.

"Very well" Jay sighed "I'll meet you in the briefing room once I clean myself up".

After BC left Jay sighed "It's always something".

While Jay was busy washing up Meia walked around trying to avoid the rest of the crew, encountering Jura outside the conference room Meia walked away after a brief chat completely aware of Jura's involvement.

In the medical room Dita, Paiway, Hibiki and now Duelo were planning their next course of action.

"We're done for if she complains to the captain" Paiway said in her puppet voice.

"Well in that case" Duelo began "We'll just have to make her decisions for her".

Hearing Pyoro in the next room talking to Meimei the four of them suddenly had a mischievous smile of their faces.

On the bridge Ezra was shocked by Dita's request "What? Let Meia babysit?"

"It's just until we can get everything ready for the surprise party" Dita explained "Please Ezra?"

"Well I don't have a problem with it, but how does Pyoro feel about it?" Ezra asked.

"Pyoro? Oh he's fine with it" Dita said awkwardly while Paiway and Hibiki wrestled Pyoro away from the console trying to keep him quiet.

Just outside the briefing room Jay stopped at the open doorway and took off his shoes placing them in the center of the doorway before walking in and playing the message Kira sent him.

The screen turned on and Kira was shown in a new uniform with a captain's insignia on her shoulder "Jay. There's been some problems with the Wyvernn. It's acting strangely more and more often. What's more is I'm starting to hear a voice talk to me while I'm flying it. I don't know if I'm going crazy, but another thing is it seems to power itself on during the night. Jason says its nothing, but I'm not so sure. I sent the analysis data of the Wyvernn along with this message in hopes you can figure this out. Take care of yourself I'll see you when we reach Mejere. I miss you".

After the message cut off Jay transferred the analysis data to an external device before placing it in his pocket and leaving the briefing room just as the doors began closing.

When the doors stopped on Jay's shoes and reopened Jay smirked as he stepped out and retrieved his shoes "Their clever. I can only imagine what they'll do next" he said as he tied his shoes and walked back to the hangar.

Just outside the bridge Meia exited the elevator, but quickly stopped when she saw Hibiki, Paiway and Dita whispering about something.

"Oh hi Meia. Where are you going?" Dita asked.

"I'm just going to see the captain" Meia replied trying to hide the fact that she was on to them.

"Hey Meia! Since you're here maybe you could help us" Dita cried happily.

"What's this about" Meia asked shocked by her sudden change in tone.

"Well you see" Dita began "Everyone is just so busy and well now that you're here we don't have anything to worry about".

Before Meia could question her again Hibiki called Pyoro over to them and quickly took Meimei from him and hander her to Meia who was completely surprised.

"We were getting worried because no one is available to take care of Meimei, but now that you're doing it everyone can get back to work" Dita said acting completely innocent.

"Hey wait a minute" Meia protested "There a lot of people on board a lot better at this than me".

"Oh I see" Hibiki interrupted "Someone who's constantly saying she can do anything whimpering at the thought of caring for a baby".

"I am not whimpering!" Meia defended before Meimei began crying.

With Meia distracted by the baby's crying the three of them ran off calling to her that she'll do fine before disappearing around the corner.

Meimei continued to cry as Meia sighed and looked over to her "I can't believe how well they set me up".

Back in the hangar Jay just finished running his own analysis of his Wyvernn and compared the data to the one Kira sent him and was stumped at first before seeing an abnormal fluxuation in the ships internal systems.

"_That flux..."_ Jay thought _"It's too identical to be coincidence. The Wyvernns are calling to one another. They're just fighter jets; they can't…its not possible"_.

Running another systems check with a full scan Jay double checked everything and was even more surprised as he came closer to finding out what was happening to the Wyvernns. "They are calling to each other" he gasped "That flux in their systems. It's like a pulse".

Sitting alone in her room Meia was watching Meimei sleep while she sat at the edge of her bed. Resting her head in her hand Meia gazed over to the picture of her and her parents when she was still a child and then at the military dog tags of Jay's parents that rested neatly inside the box that held the picture.

Hearing Meimei crying once again Meia sighed as she picked her up and walked out of her room. "What could have you so upset?" she asked gently as she frantically walked through the halls of the ship.

Turning down another corner Meia entered the escape pod bay on her way to the hangar when the Nirvana shook violently followed by the alarms blaring throughout the ship.

"Enemy attack all pilots prepare for battle!" BC commanded from the bridge.

"Perfect timing" Meia complained as she broke into a run down the hall before the ship rocked again sending her into the launch panel for an escape pod.

In the hangar Jay jumped up from his seat and yelled "Wrong day robot dudes" as he bolted for his Wyvernn "Jay here I'm taking off".

Once the canopy closed above him and sealed shut he flipped the thrust lever forward and the silver Wyvernn roared out of the hangar and into the battle quickly followed by the Dread teams and the Vanguard.

"This is Jura. I can't find Meia anywhere".

"What?" BC asked sending a wave of shock and worry to the rest of the pilots.

"Keep looking for her on the ship" Jay said as he flew ahead of the Dread teams "Until she gets out here everyone follow me".

Inside the helmsman portal Bart threw his arms forward opening the sides of the Nirvana and unleashing a barrage of lasers at the enemy ahead of them destroying a good number of them.

"Thanks Bart" Jay said after shooting down his first kill "That cleaned out a good number of them. Dread team B defensive formation around the Nirvana Dread team A, fly head on and hit him with everything you've got".

"Roger" all of the pilots said in unison as they flew into battle.

"Come on" Jay growled after evading a shot by a single enemy and shooting down two others in front of him "Analyze their attack and evasion patterns and strike when they're open" he ordered before the big drone vanished in front of him "Leave the big guy to me I'll take care of him".

Inside the escape pod Meia just finished reading over a systems check "Both the distress beacon and communication systems are useless. Of all the things to happen I have to get stuck in an obsolete escape pod". Looking down at Meimei Meia smiled "Don't worry. I won't give up. I'll never hear the end of it from Pyoro if I do".

In the heat of the battle Jay shot down several drones in his pursuit of their leader which vanished every time he got a lock on it "You can't hide forever. I'll get you eventually" he said after the target vanished. "Kid, Dita you're up!" he ordered as he pulled away from a small swarm after launching two X-class missiles at them.

"Right" Hibiki said as Dita flew in next to him.

"Ready Mr. Alien?" Dita asked.

Hibiki smirked at her "Yeah. Let's show them what we got!"

Once Vandread Dita was formed they immediately flew in to help Jay deal with the big guy while the rest of the Dreads dealt with the cube types.

On the bridge Ezra just finished a scan of the Nirvana only to find out that neither Meia nor Meimei were on board.

"Commander!" Celtic said "One of the escape pods is missing".

"What?" BC asked before looking over to Ezra "Ezra go to the radar room with Pyoro and search for that pod hurry!"

"I'll go with her" Misty said getting out of BC's operator spot "Don't worry Ezra she'll be fine as long as Meia is with her" she said reassuring her.

Outside the Nirvana both Jay and Hibiki and Dita were having trouble keeping a lock on the harvest leader once it attacked it would vanish just as fast "Dammit hold still!" Hibiki yelled in anger.

"Calm down Hibiki" Jay said as he quickly scanned the battle zone for any clue of the harvest leader "He's out there somewhere just stay calm".

In the Nirvana's radar room Misty, Ezra and Pyoro were frantically searching the entire surrounding area for any sign of the escape pod. "The gas clouds are interfering with our sensors" Misty said after finishing an area and moving on to the next one.

"There may be tons of space debris, but there's only one Pyoro 2" Pyoro yelled.

"Please God" Ezra cried "Please help me find my baby. I promise I'll stop being weak about everything just help me find my baby".

"Dammit!" Jay yelled after the enemy scored a fatal hit on his Wyvernn "That's it you're going down" he said as he powered down his fighter and waited.

"What are you doing?" Hibiki asked just before the harvest lead struck the Vandread as well "Oh wait I see" he muttered before taking his hands off the controls and waiting with his arms crossed.

"What are you guys doing?" Jura yelled "You're going to get killed".

Both Hibiki and Jay waited as the enemy continued to strike them over and over as Dita began worrying about them both and why they were letting it happen.

"There!" Jay cried as he launched his fighter's two cable out to the side impaling the wing of the harvest leader. "Come here!" he roared as he pulled the drone in before using the Wyvernn's space leap to jump forward releasing the enemy the second he dropped from hyper space sending it right towards Vandread Dita.

"We've got you!" Hibiki cheered as he quickly grabbed the controls again "Now die!"

The attack was successful; the leading drone was destroyed by the Vandread's cannons.

"Radar room here" Misty said as her screen appeared in the bridge "We've detected another enemy formation, but they're not coming for us they're heading somewhere else".

Captain Magno quickly realized what they were after "They must be heading for the pod. They're going after Meia and the baby. BC!"

"Dread teams head for those coordinates!" BC ordered.

"I won't let them anywhere near that pod" Jay roared as he activated the afterburners for his fighter and sped ahead of the Dread teams "They'll have to kill me if they want that pod".

Inside the escape pod Meia held Meimei in her arms as she slept, she finally realized why her parents scolded her when she was a child. They wanted to build a good future for her and others of her generation. "Moments I should have cherished more back then. It's so foolish that I'm only now realizing it" she said before the escape pod's warning alarm went off signaling that the air supply was failing.

Quickly placing Meimei inside a hazard suit to protect her against the loss of air as well as the vacuum of space she looked down at the baby as she continued sleeping "Don't worry. I'll never let you die".

Out in space Jay quickly caught up with the harvest formation tracking down the escape pod and immediately fired all of his secondary weapons at them trying to draw their attention away from Meia and Meimei.

"Jay wait for us" Dita cried as the Dread teams closed the gap between them and the harvest formation.

Half of the harvest formation separated to fight Jay while the rest continued for the escape pod determined to destroy it before Jay could save them.

"Dammit" Jay growled as the harvest continued to block his path.

No matter how many he shot down another blocked his path he was almost empty on ammunition and the pod was still far ahead of him.

"The enemy is closing in on the escape pod!" Belvedere announced.

"Jay hurry it up!" the captain ordered from the bridge.

"You can't stop me from reaching them" Jay grunted before taking a hit from the enemy.

"Warning damage level at 92%" the female voice of the fighter's monitoring systems said "Pressure levels critical. Warning!"

"Forty seconds until the enemy reaches them!" Belvedere cried.

"Dammit get out of my way!" Jay roared just before a bright light erupted next to his Wyvernn blinding everyone.

"What is that?" BC wondered as she watched from the bridge.

When the light vanished everyone was in shock to see what was left behind "That's Kira's Wyvernn!" Dita cried.

The white Wyvernn quickly shot down the enemies blocking Jay's path before flying into him and being consumed in a divine light forming the ArchAngel.

"What just happened?" BC asked in awe at the sight of the ArchAngel.

"Die!" Jay roared as the ArchAngel folded its wings over its body and immediately throwing them back unleashing its laser rain.

Tens of thousands of divine white lasers rained down upon the enemy viciously destroying all of them before another bright light erupted next to the ArchAngel leaving only Jay's Wyvernn behind.

Watching from inside the escape pod Meia was beside herself, from out of nowhere the second Wyvernn shows up and forms the ArchAngel before disappearing as quickly as it appeared.

"How did…How is that possible?" she asked before fainting from the lack of oxygen in the pod.

Slowly opening her eyes Meia gently tilted her head up to see she was resting against Jay's lap and was happy to see him as he sighed in relief "Don't do that again" he said in a happy, whining voice "I can't take anymore surprises today".

Meia smiled as she got up and hugged him "I knew you'd save us" she whispered before remembering Meimei was with her "The baby!" she cried frantically.

"She's fine" Jay said as he looked over to Ezra who was fighting with Pyoro over who was going to hold a crying Meimei.

Smiling Meia walked over to them and took Meimei from Ezra's arms and gently held her in her own smiling down at her.

Once Meimei realized Meia was holding her she stopped crying and immediately started laughing as she tried to reach for Meia.

"She's smiling" Pyoro muttered in surprise "That face. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen".

Meia looked over to the Navi robot just as Jay got up and stood next to her "Thank you" she smiled while blushing.

After Meimei fell asleep Meia returned her to Ezra and returned to the Nirvana with Jay. While Jay was in the medical bay getting a minor injury looked at Meia was walking around thinking about the events of the day before Misty ran over to her.

"Welcome back to the ship" she said "How are you feeling?"

Meia smiled at her "Better thanks for asking".

As the two of them walked down the hall Misty said "You know sister you seem different".

"You think so?" Meia asked.

"Yes. You look wonderful" Misty replied happily.

Stopping at the corner Meia looked down at Misty and asked "Are you up to something as well?"

Before Misty could answer Hibiki, Dita and several other crew members jumped out from behind the corner and yelled "Surprise! Happy birthday Meia!"

Hours later Jay and Meia were sitting on the bench in the garden section the lights were off except a single nearby lamp leaving most of the area dark. "After what's happened today I'm obligated to believe that this is nothing more than a dream" Jay said as Meia rested her head on his shoulder.

"I wouldn't complain if it was" she said gently as she closed her eyes.

"Good point" Jay agreed as he leaned his head against hers and closed his own eyes.

* * *

**A/N.** And finally there's chapter 14.

It took me quite some time to figure out what to do with this chapter so far it's given me the most trouble next to the Sorcerer battle.

Hope you enjoyed. See ya next time.


	16. Reflection

Finally…That was the word going through the mind of everyone on board the Nirvana. Their journey was almost finished. Just five more days and they'd be in Mejerian space.

Mixed emotions ran throughout the entire crew, but ultimately they all flowed in the same line. Some were happy others were anxious and a few were worried, but regardless of who was feeling what they all knew their path and where it was going to take them.

In the training deck of this Nirvana Jay and Meia were passing the time with a friendly sparring match.

Once they were both on the mat they immediately sprinted over to one another and locked up in a grapple before pushing away from each other.

Losing her footing for a brief second Meia stumbled giving Jay an early opening which he took without hesitation.

Rushing over to her Jay turned his torso before swinging his right leg up in a high roundhouse kick which Meia easily ducked under. Once Meia ducked under his kick Jay quickly chained it into another roundhouse kick with his left leg sweeping it through the air just above waist level.

Evading the second kick Meia tried to use a quick jab to the side of Jay's neck, but Jay blocked and redirected her attack with his right hand before opening his left palm and thrusting it under his right arm aiming for Meia's chest.

Blocking his strike with her own opened palm Meia used her elbow to hit Jay in the back of his head, but Jay once again countered. Ducking his head to the side Jay evaded the elbow before hooking his right arm into Meia's and slinging her over his shoulder.

Landing on her back Meia quickly placed her left hand on the mat and used it as a pivot to swing around and sweep Jay's feet.

Predicting her move Jay quickly brought his right leg up in a half circle before bringing it down in an axe kick which was blocked when Meia crossed her arms just above her chest. Pushing her crossed arms to the side Meia forced Jay off balance before rolling to the side and rushing back to her feet.

Once Jay regained his balance Meia rushed over to him with her arm extended for a clothesline. Jay had the same idea turning around with his arm extended the second Meia got to him. Hitting each other with their clothesline they were both knocked on their backs.

Remaining on the mat to catch their breath the two of them gave each other a cheerful look before rolling away. Stopping her roll and sliding to a kneeling position Meia watched as Jay rolled onto his stomach before he slammed his hands on the mat and pushed himself off the mat into a jump and landed back on his feet.

Not waiting another second both of them charged each other again, Meia held her arm out in a hook style clothesline convinced that she could feign Jay into another grapple, but Jay had already considered that and planned for something else.

Once they neared each other Jay ducked around Meia as she dropped her arm and spun around using her left hand to jab only to catch air. Once Meia turned around and missed her attack Jay got back up and quickly wrapped his arms around Meia's waist pulling her to him.

Surprised Meia gazed into Jay's eyes who returned the look with a loving smile "Remember that counter?" he asked her as she looked down and rested her head against his chest.

Both of them thought back to the first time they sparred against each other in a triple threat match against Kira not too long after Jay first arrived on the Nirvana. Somehow that one moment sparked off an entire cascade of memories for both of them.

Hours later, Jay was alone in the hangar sitting in his Wyvernn listening to the radio as he thought back through the days since he first arrived on the Nirvana with Kira.

As the music played quietly through the empty hangar Jay's mind drifted back to the moment where Kira was injured helping to defend a small group of people on an abandoned Mission station only days after they first joined the Nirvana. He remembered how scared worried he was about her injuries and how his fear of losing her was the reason Meia opened up to him in the first place, which was the base of their relationship before it spontaneously grew the next day.

The memories continued to flow in sequence through his mind after recalling the moment he admitted his feeling for Meia the screen in his mind immediately changed to a few days later when he, Kira and Meia had their triple threat match and when he won back the emerald coin from Kira.

As the song on the Wyvernn's radio changed to Those Nights by Skillet a song from the old days when people still lived on Earth; Jay's mind jumped to the night when he told Kira that he was going to stay on the Nirvana instead of returning to the Emerald's Edge. Recalling all the times he and Kira spent together throughout their lives a feeling of loneliness washed over him.

Ever since Kira left on the Emerald's Edge leaving Jay behind on the Nirvana a part of him hated being away from her. Even though he had Meia in his life he had known Kira all of his life and had never been away from her for more than a few days, she wasn't just his best friend she was his sister they may have not been tied by blood, but they were always there for each other.

Even when he was with Meia that part of him that missed Kira was still there. Both her and Meia were the two most important people in his life and being away from either of them was nothing short of heart wrenching.

Forcing himself to think about something else Jay changed his train of thought to the day the ArchAngel was first formed and the immense sense of hope it gave not only him and Kira, but the crew of the Nirvana as well. Every time the ArchAngel was formed it seemed to give off a feeling of hope that couldn't be stopped it was mystifying.

Opening his eyes Jay climbed out of his fighter after turning off the radio and returned to his room.

Stepping off of the elevator Jay returned to his room for a brief time, but after an hour of staring at a dark ceiling he realized he wasn't going to be able to sleep and left for the hangar once again.

Returning to the hangar Jay bumped into Barnette just as she was leaving. "You look half dead Jay" the former pilot said after seeing the blank expression on his face.

Jay nodded before telling her that with their journey back to Mejere coming to an end had been making him reflect on his time on the Nirvana and everything it meant to him.

Saying she knew what he meant Barnette had also spent most of her day remembering everything that happened since the day Magno's crew first attacked the Tarak fleet before being hurled through space by the peksis and everything that happened since.

"It's been fun though right?" Jay asked her with a friendly smile.

Barnette nodded "Definitely. At first I was just like any other Mejerian and believed that all men were our enemies. About a month before you and Kira joined us I started I guess you could say a rally and forced Hibiki, Duelo and Bart back into their previous status as prisoners. Something about you and Kira though made me realize that not all men are bad. Hibiki may be arrogant and even frustrating at times, but he can be a nice guy".

"And Bart may be an idiot, but he always came through when it counted most and proved that he's not the coward he used to be" Jay continued.

"And then there's Duelo" Barnette continued "Even after all he's had to endure he's never changed. He's always been so calm and forward with everything. Even after I locked him back up he still treated my injuries without any resentment".

Sitting against the wall the two of them continued to talk and share their memories of their journey for hours. Even well after most of the crew had awakened and began their daily routines. When the traffic past around the hangar area finally became noticeable Jay and Barnette yawned before laughing at how oblivious they were to how long they were talking.

With only three days left Jay continued to grow more and more anxious, he wanted to see Kira again they'd been separated for just over two months now and it was driving him to insanity. Of course they still had the harvest to deal with, Jay knew that the final battle would be fought in the next few days and he was ready to end it. Four years of fighting the harvest Jay was ready for it all to end.

Returning to his room the young white haired pilot laid down to finally rest. Closing his eyes he fell asleep the second his head hit his pillow.

In his dreams Jay watched everything in the past few years of his life go by him. From the first time the harvest attacked his home world to the day he and Kira were separated from the Emerald's Edge, from the day they arrived on the Nirvana to the day they said good bye to each other.

Slowly opening his eyes Jay sat up and looked down at his watch, he slept for ten hours. Pushing himself up to a standing position he straightened his hair before leaving the detention block of the ship and returning to the hangar. Once he entered the hangar he met face to face with Misty who seemed to have an envious look in her eyes.

"Need something?" he asked her with a small smile.

"I guess you could say that" Misty answered before lowering her eyes and cupping her hands behind her waist "You and I haven't really talked since I got here. The only people I've really spoken to are Meia and Hibiki and since we're almost back to Mejere I just wanted to talk and get to know you is all".

"Fair enough" Jay nodded "Follow me".

Leading Misty away from the hangar and to the garden section of the ship just at the edge of the stream Jay sat on the ground and folded his left leg over his right as Misty sat next to him "Well you know my name, my skill as a pilot and that's pretty much about it. What would you like to know?"

Misty hesitated for a brief moment before saying what was on her mind "I just want to know why you're always so cheerful. What makes you always seem so…bulletproof, like nothing can get you down. Whenever I'm with Meia she talks about you a lot and how you're outlook towards the world is something she envies…something I wish I could do".

Jay stared at the stream as it flowed by them thinking on what Misty said. "Well I never really thought about it. I mean its something that's been on my mind a few times before, but not something I've ever really thought about. I guess it's mostly because of Kira. She's always been there for me and I was always there for her. She was always there to give me the strength or answer I needed when I wasn't sure of what to do. Take this stream for example".

Pausing to point at the stream quickly threw himself forward and laid on his side facing the stream "The stream even though man made and forced to follow a certain path continues to flow forward". Placing his open hand in the water he watched along with Misty as the water just flowed around his hand instead of being stopped by it.

"It continues to flow. If something gets in its way it just goes around. That's what Kira told me one day. Be like a stream of water when an obstacle blocks your path; don't beat yourself trying to climb over it when you can just go around. Of course some obstacles have to be met head on to overcome them, but the point is if you treat your life like the flow of water it becomes easier to get past hardships".

Taking his hand out of the stream and shaking the water off the young pilot pushed himself back to a sitting position next to Misty "It took me a while to understand it, but trust me when you finally do some things become much easier to deal with. Mind you that don't take this as a way to deal with every problem you face in your life, trying to use this philosophy in the wrong way can end badly".

Misty tilted her head to the side as she looked at Jay with a curious expression "So my situation is one of those bad turns then?"

Jay nodded "If you mean the part where you believe you're alone in this life then yes that's a bad turn. And trust me that's a road you don't want to walk down. Its one you don't come back from. Your family may be long gone Misty, but you and Meia have gotten pretty close right? You can always talk to her. And if you can't find her you can always come to me".

Jumping to his feet Jay dusted off his dark jeans before looking through the dome covering the bridge and out to space "Even though this is the first time you and I have really talked to one another Misty I've never seen you as anything less than a family member. Everyone on this ship is part of a family whether they admit it or not we're all together regardless of what happens everyone will remember everyone until the day they die you and I are no exception".

The entire time Jay was speaking he felt an unbearable wave of sadness washing over him, but at the same time he felt happy, the long journey that for him started years ago was going to end soon and he knew that everyone on the Nirvana and the Emerald's Edge especially Meia and Kira would be right behind him ready to face it head on when the time came.

Jay's words really seemed to sink in, Misty suddenly felt a lot better. Part of her was still sad, but mostly she was happy to hear that she was part of the Nirvana's family. Smiling she stood up and hugged Jay thanking him cheerfully for his words giving him a small sense of awkwardness, but he felt good knowing that he was able to help Misty feel better.

Just as the two of them turned around to leave Meia walked over to them with a stern smile "So this is where you two have been".

"Oh hello there dear sister" Misty said happily letting go of Jay's arm and giving Meia an excessive loving look.

"You know Meia" Jay said in a teasing tone as he walked over to her "We never did finish our match yesterday. Some unforeseen interference got in the way".

Meia smiled as she closed her eyes and turned her head down "Don't expect me to go easy on you this time Jay".

Crossing his arms over his stomach Jay cocked his eyebrow as he stared at Meia with a look of disbelief "Oh we'll see about that" he said before walking over to her and giving her a quick kiss before continuing past her "I'll see you back on the training deck when you're ready".

After Jay left Misty looked up to Meia and said "Thank you…Meia"

Surprised Meia looked down at Misty clearly confused by what she was being thanked for.

Misty giggled before explaining "I never did thank you for being there for me. I also see how you and Jay fell for each other. I have to admit I was pretty jealous that everyone had someone they could turn to when they were having a hard time, but I don't feel that way anymore. Thanks to you and Jay I know I've found some friends that will be there for me when I need them".

Looking back up at Meia Misty closed her eyes as she smiled "Right?"

Taking a brief second to take in what Misty said Meia smiled and nodded "That's right you're part of the family Misty and we're here for you".

* * *

**A/N. **And that was chapter 15, thanks for reading.

I wanted to add a filler chapter before I headed on to the path of the finale. I'll be honest though part of me doesn't want to do the final chapters, writing Shattered Space is the most fun I've had in years and I'm gonna be real sad when it ends.


	17. Trial and Revelation

"Dammit!" Jay yelled after an asteroid exploded a few meters away from him "Fighting in a magnetic storm I can do no problem, but add an asteroid field. Now that's just pushing it".

"Stop complaining" Meia told him "Just focus on the enemies and time your attacks right we can do this".

Only three days left and the Nirvana would finally arrive in Mejerian space, but as everyone could predict the harvest became more ruthless and persistent, determined now more than ever to stop them before they made it home. Attacking them in the midst of a magnetic storm was proof enough of that.

"We could clear this asteroid field with a barrage from the Nirvana, but if Bart drops the shields the storm will scramble the ship's systems" Hibiki growled after narrowly evading two pursuing harvesters.

"No kidding" Jay smirked "Then again complaining isn't going to help us any so we might as well just fight and get it over with".

"Says the guy who's been complaining since take off" Meia said in a sarcastic tone before scoring a lucky hit on a single cube type.

"Uncool" Jay fired back after performing a Dutch roll and firing a single missile destroying a cube-type as it trapped itself between the missile and an asteroid fragment.

"Tha…one…d…wn" Jay's radio cut out in a burst of static his words barely making it to the rest of the Dreads and Vanguard. It seemed the storm was finally taking its toll on the ships their radios were being scrambled.

"Well looks like I'm on my own then" Jay sighed turning off his radio "Have to stay frosty. Radar's going to go next and I don't need any friendly fire happening in all this".

Catching a glint at the edge of his vision Jay quickly threw the flightstick of his Wyvernn to the side to avoid a double blast of crimson laser. "Clever girl" the white haired pilot growled under his breath after turning his flightstick back to level his fighter.

Making a quick glance over his shoulder Jay was relieved to see that he wasn't being followed, but the storm kept him blinded to everything around him meaning that until the battle was over there was the constant chance of an enemy firing on him from behind the cover of the storm.

It had been almost twenty minutes since Jay saw any sign of the enemy or any of his allies and he began to worry. Had he possibly flown out of the battle zone?

"It's so weird not hearing the overlapping sounds of yelling pilots" Jay admitted to himself in an unnerving tone "Almost spooky".

Back on the Nirvana, all of the Dreads had returned to the ship with the exception of the Vanguard and the Wyvernn. Both were missing in action.

"We lost contact with Jay shortly before he disappeared from our radar. It's most likely due to the storm's interference. As for Hibiki and the Vanguard we're doing what we can to pinpoint its location.

The pilots were shocked; not only was Hibiki missing, but Jay vanished halfway through the battle and they haven't received any contact from him at all.

"Oh Mr. Alien, Jay I hope you're both all right" Dita cried under her breath.

Far out in the magnetic storm Jay was still flying through, it had now been forty seven minutes since he last saw any trace of the enemy or someone from the Nirvana and that alone confirmed what he thought. He had flown to far from the battle and was now lost.

Looking around he tried to get even the slightest glimpse of anything he could use as a marker, but all that was around him were asteroids. Turning his radio back on Jay was immediately met by the screeching sound of static overlapping static.

"Of course" he said turning the volume of the radio down "So let's asses the situation. I'm surrounded by a magnetic storm to the point to where I can't see anything, but what's right in front of me. My radar is out and the radio is giving me nothing, but static. Jay old boy, we've entered Silent Hill…Space style".

On the surface of a desert world the Vanguard is laying upside-down on a small hill with its upper half in a small crater while its pilot lies unconscious not too far away.

A small group of men dressed in red tribal clothing walk over to a surround the young pilot. "Well he still has breath in him" one of them said.

"Yes!" one of them gasped "And he's met Sam".

"Huh" another grunted "So he calls himself Rabat now does he?"

Just then the young pilot stirs and slowly opens his eyes. Looking up at the tribal people surrounding him Hibiki grunted "Who the hell are you people?" before slowly trying to push himself up.

"Do not worry" the oldest looking one said "the spirits have not forsaken your people just yet".

Surprised Hibiki said "What? Voices in my head".

One of the younger tribal men laughed "Don't be alarmed. We have no need for voices".

Back on the Nirvana, Ezra was desperately calling both Jay and Hibiki's names frantically trying to get a response from either of them.

Across the bride Celtic muttered "It's no good it looks dead" her choice of words seemed to scare everyone on the bridge.

Hearing their collective gasps Celtic quickly turned around and skittishly apologized "I mean the radar, the radar looks dead. That's what I meant to say I guess".

"Choose your words more carefully we're rattled enough as it is" Belvedere cried.

Suddenly Ezra gets a scrambled transmission and quickly turns around to answer "Hibiki? Jay?"

"…vana…R…io…dar…not…rking…repeat…I am…darkness" The rest of the transmission was pure static, but the crew was able to tell whose voice it was.

"That was Jay. He's still out there we have to find him" BC commanded just as Meia contacted the bridge from the hangar "With your permission captain I'd like to go out and scout".

"You can't even see your hand in front of your face out there" the captain replied "

The Dread commander immediately responded "There could still be a few enemies left in this area…" Meia lowered her head and her voice trailed off "Besides…"

Before the captain could respond Dita's screen also appeared above the bridge. She was crying and begging the captain to allow her to search for Hibiki. Again before the captain could respond Misty's screen popped up asking to use the radar room to look for Hibiki and Jay immediately followed by Barnette and Jura from Reg Central suggesting that it would be less dangerous to use the delivery ships and keep the shields up. Jura commented on the fact that with the Vanguard missing they would most likely end up in more trouble later on.

"Just calm down everyone!" BC ordered in an attempt to gain control of the situation "We've just received a broken transmission from the Wyvernn so we're trying to pinpoint its location first, but remember we're searching for two people so we have to prioritize on who we think might be closer. Since we haven't heard anything from Hibiki we have to go with Jay's transmission first".

Dita argued "But Commander!"

BC immediately cut her off "I'm sorry Dita. I know this must be hard for you, but we must go with what we have. We're not going to give up on either of them we're still going to search for Hibiki, but Jay takes priority since he's contacted us".

Back out in space Jay engaged the autopilot for his fighter and leaned back in his seat "I wonder if the battle is over by now" he asked himself before closing his eyes.

Opening his eyes Jay gasped before shooting back to a sitting position, he was outside of the magnetic storm "Did I actually fall asleep?" he asked looking down at his watch, but of course it wasn't working. That storm he was in froze his watch so there was no telling how long he was out on his own.

Switching on his radio and radar Jay sighed in relief to hear silence and not static "This is Jay, Nirvana do you read? I repeat this is Jay to the Nirvana".

Waiting in tense silence the white haired pilot growled through a closed mouth before spotting something on his radar. "A…A station here?" he asked seeing a mission station drifting not to far away from him. "Well I don't really have much of choice" he continued steering his fighter towards the station's docking port.

Opening all of his radio frequencies Jay attempted to contact the mission station "This is Jay Masterson to the Mission Station. Requesting permission to dock".

Just like with the Nirvana he didn't get a response "Dammit you're kidding me" he yelled as he slammed his fist against the canopy. Spotting an open hangar door Jay narrowed his eyes before switching off the autopilot and landing his fighter in the mission's hangar.

After landing Jay made a quick survey of the hangar before climbing out of his fighter grasping a M9A1 handgun tightly in his hand.

* * *

On the surface of the desert planet the group of tribal men took Hibiki to their village in the face of a mountain. In a wide hollow a medium sized cooking fire blazed while one of the men filled a small stone bowl with a green soup and handed it to Hibiki.

The oldest looking one of the group sat next to the young pilot, clearly the leader of their civilization he told Hibiki to drink it to help regain his strength. Taking a sip of the soup he swallowed it, but its horrible taste overwhelmed him as he started gagging to which the children watching from the entrance laughed.

Growling at them the leader of the tribe laughed his laughter echoed in Hibiki's mind.

"So why is it you don't have voices?" Hibiki asked.

"Earthlings!" one of them answered angrily "Earthlings took them from us".

"Tatanka" the leader said "Do not be filled with hatred, it leads to nothing".

The leader began explaining the history of how his people lost their voices to Hibiki. The story angered him as he began shaking the bowl in his hand "How can they do such a thing?"

"Even though we lost our voices" the leader began "We were able to divine the language of the heart and because of that we were able to speak with the spirits more effectively".

That seemed to only anger Hibiki even more "And you just sit back and let them do that to you? What does it take to piss you guys off? Why don't you get up and fight?"

"Fighting isn't our way" the leader informed "The spirits will not aid us if we choose to fight. Such thoughts are the ways of a negative conscience. The time drawing ever closer between your world and the Earth that performs the harvest, the final battle is also approaching you sense that and as such are being hasty. It looks like you need to speak to your inner self once more. You should visit the cave of the spirits".

* * *

Meanwhile on the seemingly abandoned Mission Station Jay wandered through the halls with a flashlight in the left breast pocket of his silver flight suit and his M9A1 pistol still held tightly in his hand "There's got to be someone on this station if I can just find the generator room I can get the lights working in this place".

Opening a rusted door, the nerve stricken pilot made his way into a large room with a command console. Placing his gun under his arm Jay began activating the controls across the console trying to figure out what was what. "There we go" he muttered pushing one lever forward about halfway activating the emergency power across the facility.

When the lights came on Jay screamed as he stumbled back and fell to the ground. On the opposite side of the Plexiglas window were two impaled bodies both of them female. "What happened here?" Jay asked in a shaky tone as he got up and examined the twisted expressions of pain on their faces.

Hearing a metal clang behind him Jay quickly spun around on his heels and aimed his gun at a frightened little girl standing in the doorway.

Lowering his gun Jay asked "Are you all right? What happened here?"

The girl didn't answer; instead she began crying in fear and ran away down the hall.

"Hey!" Jay called after her before hearing a thud against the window behind him. Turning around Jay froze when he saw the half destroyed body of a machine slowly tapping its claw against the window. It looked like a black beetle with a single tentacle sprouting from the side of its head and even though it was mostly destroyed Jay knew immediately what it was…an old harvest drone.

Stepping to the side Jay reached for the radio on the console and attempted to send a message to the Nirvana "This is Jay to the Nirvana. I am on board a Mission Station outside the magnetic storm. I don't know my coordinates compared to yours so I'm activating a distress beacon. If you are receiving this head for this position immediately…"

Jay stopped talking when the Plexiglas window in front of him shattered and the old harvest drone collapsed to the ground in front of him before slowly clawing its way over to him.

"Dammit!" Jay yelled firing two shots from his pistol before running away.

* * *

Far away on the Nirvana Jay's transmission made it through, but only the last bit of it. "Distress beacon. If you are receiving this head for this position immediately…" hearing the sound of shattering glass and Jay swearing followed by the sound of gunfire sent a wave of terror through the crew that was listening.

"We have to find him" Barnette demanded from Reg Central.

BC nodded "We're doing what we can, but as long as we're inside this storm it's going to be difficult. We don't know where he is and the storm is interfering with out signals so we can't get a lock on his beacon".

It was difficult enough looking for one lost pilot, but with their attention divided between two their job was almost too difficult.

* * *

Inside a dark cave on the desert planet Hibiki was climbing a wall trying to make it to the top of the cavern. The leader of the tribe told him to open his heart and not rely entirely on his eyes. If he opened his heart the spirits would do the same for him and guide him to the top. Telling the tribe leader to keep his voodoo talk to himself Hibiki continued to climb until he was overwhelmed with memories of people back on Tarak and when he first arrived on the Nirvana. Various voices talking down to him, telling him he couldn't make it.

While arguing with the voices in his head Hibiki lost his footing and fell back to the cavern floor far below him. At the floor entrance to the cavern the leader of the tribe and Tatanka were watching Hibiki's progress through the aid of the spirits.

"Chief Cocoparin. Perhaps the Warrior's Trial is too much for that young man" Tatanka said.

"No" the chief responded "It all depends on what's in his heart".

Sensing someone behind them Tatanka turned around and looked at the edge of the cliff above them to see a man dressed in the same tribal clothing as them along with an Orangutan standing at his feet. "Sam!"

* * *

On the mission station Jay had long escaped the harvest drone chasing him, but now he was lost on the station and had no idea how to get back to his ship. "This is just perfect" he growled in a sarcastic tone before calming himself "Then again. I can't really just leave. That girl is still here and I can't just leave her".

Walking through the hall Jay just barely spotted something moving out of the corner of his eye. Cautiously entering the small room he scanned around with his flashlight before spotting a subtle movement behind an overturned table. Smirking Jay said "I can see you. You don't have to hide I'm friendly".

From behind the table the girl he saw earlier slowly stood up and regarded him with terrified eyes.

Kneeling down in the doorway Jay held out his empty hand "Its ok. What's your name?"

"Cindy" the girl said in a breaking voice.

"Cindy" Jay repeated "I'm Jay. Why don't you tell me what happened here".

Cindy dropped to her knees and began crying "Those monsters attacked us. I went to hide, but when I came out everyone was gone".

Walking over to Cindy Jay knelt down next to her placed his hand on her shoulder "How long has it been?"

"It was just yesterday" the girl cried.

"_Yesterday?"_ Jay thought _"Impossible. Those two bodies I saw. They've been dead for at least a few weeks. Maybe even a month. And this station is completely run down. There's no way this just happened yesterday"._

Hearing the sound of grinding steel Jay knew that the harvest drone was catching up to him so hi picked Cindy up in his arms and told her to hold on as he sprinted out of the room and sure enough there it was just coming around the corner. "Don't worry Cindy you'll be safe with me. All we have to do is make it back to my ship and we can get out of here".

"No!" Cindy cried after they escaped the drone "We can't leave until I find mommy".

Jay knew that there was no way her mother was still alive, but he also could tell by the sound of Cindy's voice that he wouldn't be able to convince her of that so his only choice was to help her look until they found some trace of her. "Do you know where she might be?" Jay asked her while they stopped to rest.

Cindy nodded "She's trapped in our room. I can hear her calling my name when I go there, but the door is stuck and I can't open it".

"Take me there, I'll see what I can do" Jay said setting Cindy back on her feet.

Running down the hall Cindy called "This way".

* * *

Opening his eyes Hibiki was surrounded by a familiar, but still strange blue light. Not only was he hearing the voices of the many people he used to work with as a lowly mechanic back on Tarak, but he was also seeing visions of his memories from the Nirvana's journey. And even more unsettling memories he didn't recognize.

In the Nirvana's radar room Meia, Jura and Dita felt a powerful presence surge in their minds and all at once as if possessed by that presence pointed at a single spot on the radar. "Hibiki is" Meia began. "Right in this area" Jura finished.

"What did you say!" Magno cried in the briefing room.

"There can be no doubt" Duelo responded from the infirmary "Hibiki is of the first generation. He was aboard this pioneering ship. The pioneering crew that was onboard only kept the absolute minimum number of crew to run the ship, the rest were put into a cold sleep. Hibiki was one of those who was put to sleep".

"So that baby from back then?" Magno exclaimed recalling the video that was found in a storage room back on Christmas "That's the arrogant little boy we all know?"

At that moment the Nirvana rejected Bart from the helmsman portal and at top speed flew off avoiding the asteroids.

"What are you doing?" BC yelled "I didn't tell you to go anywhere yet".

Back on the desert world Hibiki was still dreaming, the blue light of the peksis still enveloping him as it continued to ask him in various voices _"What is Hibiki?"_

"Who are you to ask these things?" Hibiki asked in response "Are you really God? Or just an illusion?"

"_Unable to comprehend. Humans are primal organisms"_ the peksis replied.

"I see I get it" Hibiki said "You're a living thing to right?" The peksis didn't respond, but Hibiki knew he was right "That's it. So that explains it" he said happily as the light vanished.

The chief smiled "He has finally arrived at the location where the spirits wait for him" behind them Rabat enters the cave with Butan running ahead of him and jumping into Tatanka's arms with tears running from her eyes.

Holding the orangutan Tatanka held his finger against his lips "Quiet. Cocoparin is performing the ceremony". The female orangutan quickly placed her hands over her mouth.

Cocoparin sensed Rabat's presence and greeted him "Sam. Welcome back".

Rabat smiled and said "I had a feeling that he'd somehow make it here one of these days".

The chief once again smiled "It was like this when you first came here. He has the very same look in his eyes that you had then".

"Oh come on" Rabat said remembering the time he also crash landed on their world "I was hardly as simple back then as he is now".

Tatanka gasped "Are you saying the spirits chose him over you Sam?"

"It is true that we saw the Blue Kachina within him" Cocoparin said drawing a tribal style picture on the ground with various colored dusts.

"Not just the Blue Giant" Rabat corrected "You'll notice he's also gotten a hold of the White Wings and the Red Claw as well".

"If that is the will of the universe" the chief began as he finished the picture on the ground "Then he shall have no trouble overcoming the trial…of himself".

Within the dark cavern Hibiki with renewed strength and unwavering determination continued to scale the face of the cavern even with the peksis whispering in his head. _"The ticking of time, lives with limits"_.

Grunting as he pulled himself up to the next foothold Hibiki replied with a smile "You don't have what you call the ticking of time right? But humans definitely have it. Maybe in your perspective we are nothing, but primal organisms. But that's why we have to appreciate each day and the time we do have".

"_What is Hibiki"_ the peksis asked again_ "Why does he exist?"_

"I don't know the answer to that either" Hibiki grunted pulling himself up again "But I'll live on to find out what I can".

"_That is Hibiki's proof"_ the peksis said in conclusion.

"I hate to admit it" the pilot began as he continued climbing "But I can't survive alone. I can barely make it supported by a whole army of people I've come to know".

"_Those are comrades of great value"_

"That's right. They all go too far out of their way, but because of that. I can be me. If I lose even one, I can no longer be myself".

"_The desires of many, prayers, hope"_

"Heh, it's a lot to carry on my shoulders, but no matter what happens. There's no way I can bring myself to give up on it. For them, when I think that they'll be sad. I can't slack off".

Hibiki gasped when he saw a bright light shining through a small opening far above him.

"_Worry, doubt, jealousy"_

"Until I came here I was only thinking about myself. That's why I didn't care what the people around me were thinking, it didn't matter to me. But I get it now; they're on my mind, if I can be even stronger if I have more power than I do now I can save everyone. Now that it's donned on me I could never think of running away. I really feel from the bottom of my heart that I want to be stronger for all of them".

The light above him turned into an evil red light before firing down at him making him loose his footing again. "Out of my way" he demanded throwing his hand to the side vanquishing the red light before continuing his ascent "I won't run away. Even if I'm like this there are people out there who believe in me. So it's for them and to do my part to protect them that I'll continue to protect them".

"_That is the circle of life, the proof of life"_.

"That's right" Hibiki grunted finally reaching the top and pulling himself up one last time "And this is the proof that I'm alive!"

As Hibiki bathed in the sunlight at the top of the mountains the chief far below at the entrance of the cavern sensed the completion of the trial "And thus we have the birth of another true warrior".

Rabat grunted with a pleased smile "You've stood on your own stage for the first time now. Now raise your voice and introduce yourself with your own words!"

Roaring into the distance Hibiki realized the importance of everything and finally declared "I am Hibiki Tokai I will never run away, for them the people that believe in me".

Far ahead of him he could make out the outline of Dita's Dread speeding toward him and stood his ground with a triumphant smile as she flew over him.

* * *

Walking down the silent halls of the mission station Jay followed Cindy to the crew quarters of the station most of the doors were severely damaged either half open, slanting out of their slots or closed with various scorch, burn and welding marks on them.

"Which room is it Cindy?" Jay asked before seeing Cindy struggling with a door in the center of the hall.

"Mommy can you hear me?" Cindy cried slamming her small fists against the door "Please open the door I'm scared".

After a short time Cindy slumped to her knees and began crying cueing Jay to come to her side "Don't cry Cindy there's a way to open the door. And I'll stay here until we find it".

"Re…really?" Cindy asked trying to stop herself from crying.

Jay nodded as he looked at the door and tried to open it himself "It might be locked. Or maybe there's something keeping it from being opened".

"That's it!" Cindy cried "I remember now. I was so scared when I was trying to hide that I shoved something into the door's lock on the other side".

"Then how did you get out?" Jay asked her.

Cindy's face immediately faulted "Uh…I don't know. I know I was hiding in there, but when I woke up I was outside the room. I don't remember how I got out".

Placing his hand under his chin Jay began thinking on ways Cindy could have gotten out of her room. The first obvious guess was through an air vent, but there was no way he could get through the air vents were just big enough for Cindy to squeeze through by the look of them. Another guess was through a hole in the walls, but that thought was quickly shot down when he remembered that these walls were double plated Dura steel.

"Cindy" Jay said quietly.

"Yes?"

"If I give you a boost do you think you could climb through the air duct right there and open the door from the other side?"

"Maybe, but" Cindy's voice trailed off in hesitance "It's really dark up there".

"Don't be afraid. Here take this with you" Jay said handing her his flashlight "I used to be afraid of the dark to, but one day I realized there was nothing to be afraid of. Trust me Cindy once you face something your afraid of it won't scare you anymore".

"You'll be right here when I open the door right?" Cindy asked him in a shaky voice.

"Of course I will. I won't move from this spot until that door is open" Jay reassured her gently using his hand to tighten Cindy's grip on his flashlight.

Cindy smiled and nodded "All right I'll be right back".

Lifting her onto his shoulders Jay got Cindy high enough for her to pull off the cover to the air duct and climb inside. Once she was inside she called back to him to wait for her which he did.

Jay waited for several minutes, waiting for any sound of Cindy on the other side of the door whether it was crying or the door being un jammed he waited in absolute silence for what felt like hours. Taking a breath Jay knocked on the door "Cindy is everything ok in there?" No answer. "Cindy? Cindy can you hear me!"

Nothing, no sound at all. "Cindy!" Jay cried slamming his fist against the door with great force.

Hearing something grind against the door before something metal fell to the floor behind it Jay quickly darted his hand to the handle and slid the door open.

Holding his pistol in his hand Jay entered the room and spotted his flashlight on a small dresser next to various pictures of a beautiful young woman and Cindy. Everything in the room was caked in dust. Picking up his flashlight he looked around the room and saw the door to the bathroom was blocked by collapsed ceiling debris.

Clearing the debris from the door Jay opened it and gasped as he stepped back. Inside the bathroom sitting against the corner was the body of a young woman, in her hands she was clutching a green teddy bear with a silver heart shaped locket around its neck.

Examining the locket closer Jay saw the picture inside was of Cindy and the same woman clearly her mother.

Lowering his head Jay's voice began breaking "I'm sorry Cindy".

"Don't be" Cindy's voice said from behind him.

Surprised Jay turned around and shined his flashlight behind him, but no one was there. "Don't be sad Jay" Cindy's voice said "Its ok I'm with mommy now I'll be fine".

"Cindy" Jay muttered turning his head back to the woman's body in the corner.

"Thank you Jay" a soothing voice said accompanied by Cindy giggling "You've returned my little girl to me and I could never thank you enough. You really must be a being of holy purpose. So long was the time I spent alone in the darkness trying to find my daughter, just when I was ready to give up you brought her back to me. Thank you".

The voices faded away just as Jay was about to say something, but the words wouldn't come. He could feel an unbearable pain forming within him, but his tears were interrupted by the sound of screeching metal becoming louder.

Gently taking the locket from the bear's neck Jay tightly clutched it in his hand and his expression immediately changed from despair to anger as he placed the locket in his pocket with his flashlight and returned to the hall to meet the harvest drone that finally caught up with him.

"I'm through with you" he roared at the machine "All the pain you've caused. All the people you've hurt. The lives you've stole for your self righteous purpose!" Furiously pulling the hammer back on his pistol Jay took aim at the machine and emptied his entire clip into it while advancing toward it.

Once the hammer locked back Jay released the lock and ejected the clip before loading a fresh one and pulling the hammer back again he began firing until that one was also empty.

The harvest drone was already extensively damaged and even though he only had a handgun Jay was still adding to its damage. The drone slowly turned to the side and began crawling away trying to escape.

"You can't run from me" Jay said loading his third and last clip into his pistol and continuing his advance "None of you can run from me. I will hunt down all of you and destroy you!" he roared firing the entire clip into the exposed mechanical brain of the drone killing it.

In mid crawl the machine screeched as it fell to the floor defeated and offline for good. Seeing a sledgehammer at his feet Jay picked it up and walked over to the head of the drone and spoke in a deathly voice "This one is for Cindy and her mother".

Quickly raising the hammer over his head Jay brought it down with all of his might in full force crushing the machine's head under it.

Letting go of the hammer Jay holstered his gun and retrieved the locket from his pocket opening and staring at the picture in it. "Cindy. You and your mom watch from the heavens. I promise both of you that I'll take down the harvest".

Walking back to the hangar Jay placed the locket around his neck just as Cindy's mother's voice spoke to him "Thank you. Holy Knight".

Climbing back into his fighter Jay left the Mission and returned to space just as the Nirvana came into his radar coverage and his radio light beeped and flickered.

Flipping the switch Jay's screen appeared above the bridge and he said a quiet voice "Go for Masterson".

"Jay what happened?" BC asked as the Nirvana drew closer to him.

"I got separated from the battle interference from the storm. I take it we won".

BC nodded "Yes. Everyone made it through just fine" BC gave him a smug smile "We were really worried about you. Next time you should consider staying a little closer to the rest of the team".

Jay nodded slightly "Roger that. Beginning landing procedures".

Jay's voice carried throughout the bridge even though he was speaking calmly his tone the pain and sadness in his voice trailed to everyone who was listening.

Landing in the hangar Jay climbed out of his Wyvernn and walked away. Spotting Meia at the hangar doors just s few feet from him he quickly ran over to her and embraced her much to her surprise.

"I was worried" she said to him before seeing the sad look on his face "What happened?"

After explaining everything that happened to him after he landed on the mission station Jay took the locket from around his neck and held it gently in his hands as if it was a delicate butterfly "I will end the harvest" he said in a tone of fierce determination "This isn't about fighting for our right to survive anymore" he continued wrapping his hand around the locket "This goes beyond war, beyond judgement and Armageddon. I'm going to answer their operation with my own. The complete annihilation of every harvest machine in existence. If I have to hunt them down myself I'll see to it that any trace of them is wiped from reality".

Jay's vow, his determination sent mixed emotions through Meia, fear, pride, respect. She had never seen him like this. She had seen him care free and completely happy, she had seen him in complete despair and she had seen him when he was pushed over the edge. But this…

Wrapping her arms around him Meia leaned her head against his chest "You're not doing it alone" she told him bringing him out of his anger "You've got me and everyone here right behind you".

Jay nodded as he returned the embrace "That's not all. I've got Kira and everyone on the Emerald's Edge as well. They're waiting for us. And when it comes time for the final battle we'll all stand as one as an unbeatable, immovable army one that won't show fear or hesitance we will win".

Smiling at him Meia led him out of the hangar and back to his room.

On the surface of the desert planet Chief Cocoparin and members of his tribe were seeing Hibiki off. The chief explained the importance and significance of the trial Hibiki had passed. Telling him that no matter what he should never hesitate, never fear, never worry.

Moving his hair aside the chief placed a small green bead gem against the pilot's forehead marking him as one of them even though he was about to leave they would always be together as a family.

With everyone both Jay and Hibiki back safely on the Nirvana the ship continued through the magnetic storm making its way back to Mejere.

"Once we're past this storm we'll finally make it back to our homeland" the captain announced on the bridge "Everyone never let your guard down".

In Jay's room both Jay and Meia were sitting at the edge of the bed leaning their heads against each other's "I was worried about you" Meia said "I'm glad you're back safe".

"So am I" Jay said before falling back on his bed with Meia next to him "Just a couple more days and we'll be at the end".

Meia smiled as she turned her eyes away from him.

"When this is all over" Jay began "What should we do?"

Meia inched herself closer to him until they were lying side by side with no space between them "I'd like to see your world" she said lovingly.

Smiling at his lover Jay wrapped his arm over her before kissing her. "I'll show you one day. Once all of this is over".

* * *

**A/N.** Aaaaaaaand there it is. Chapter 17. I know its been a while in the making, but its here. And my longest chapter yet.


	18. Homecoming

In the center of yet another magnetic storm Vandread Jura escorted the Nirvana through the storm while cradling it in its shields. It wasn't going to be much longer, by the end of the day they'd finally be back in Mejerian space, and the crew was ecstatic.

In the cockpit of the Vandread Hibiki was praising the recent fortifications of the Vandread while commenting that with them they'd be able to cruise through the storm with no trouble.

Immediately butting in and sliding her seat in front of the cabin's camera Jura held it in her hands and cheered "Did you hear that everyone? The new and improved Vandread Jura will now elegantly escort you all the way to Mejere".

Standing next to Meia on the Bridge Jay looked over to his girlfriend and scoffed "It's kind of sad that it's almost over". He was in a new attire to celebrate the end of the Nirvana's journey. His new attire consisted of an unbuttoned silver Hawaiian shirt and tanned green jeans that looked like they were primarily for field camouflage.

Meia smiled as she lowered her head and leaned into him and didn't say anything, but he had a pretty good idea what she was thinking. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder Jay's smile grew even more when a handheld radio hanging from his belt started beeping. "Excuse me" he said cheerfully as he answered it "Go for Masterson".

The response was mostly static due to the magnetic storm surrounding the ship, but Jay already knew who was on the other end. "Ja…we're…Mejere…Can't wait…see…"

Walking out of the bridge Jay boosted the signal as much as he could and answered "Kira, we're going to hit Mejere before the day's over. Once you and the Emerald's Edge meet up with us we can plan our final strike, until then look after yourself and the ship".

"Roger…still…can't wait…see y…" the radio's signal was finally overwhelmed by the storm forcing Jay to shut it off. "It's been too long since we last saw each other Kira" he said to himself while looking at the ceiling.

Returning to the bridge Jay overheard Misty saying something about the crew being harvested once they made it back to Mejere before she walked out of the room commenting that Mejere means nothing to her. After Misty walked by him Jay walked back over to Meia and grinned "Such a pleasant child".

Meia smirked "I haven't seen you this happy in a long time".

"Its going to take a whole lot to ruin my mood today Meia" Jay continued in his gleeful tone "Now about Misty".

"Already under your skin?" Meia asked him.

Jay shook his head "No, but she's going to cause some trouble and she really seems to like you so I was hoping you could talk to her before someone asks me to throw her in the airlock".

Once he finished speaking the ship shook after impacting a cluster of asteroids. "Hey what was that?" Bart yelled "We're going to get pummeled if we keep going this way".

"You can't let little things like that bother you" Hibiki told him "This is the quickest route there" his voice suddenly becomes quieter yet more determined "Besides. I wanna see with my own eyes…Our future!"

"Oh you're so mature" Jura said cunningly before sliding her chair next to him "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

Hibiki looked over to Jura with a bewildered expression unsure of how to respond to her, but thankfully Dita contacted them and caused a distraction. Telling him that she was preparing a special meal for him as a celebration Dita closed her eyes and squirmed as she giggled, but the only words Hibiki heard was food and celebration.

"Sounds good to me" he told her before Jura interrupted.

"What is this just the two of you?" she asked him with a slight envious tone just before Barnette contacted her and told her that she was also planning on making her something special which only made Jura squeal with delight as she entered her 'cheery flattery' mood, but once Barnette's screen disappeared she calmed down and became serious "You do know that even after we make it back you can't stay with Dita".

Hibiki curious to her sudden and unusual change in attitude looked up form his controls as the blonde co-pilot continued "You're still a man, which means you won't be able to stay on Mejere with her".

Gritting his teeth Hibiki barked "We have more important things to deal with anyway, like finishing off the harvest".

Back on the ship Jay was walking toward the infirmary with Parfet while telling her an engine joke he heard from a mechanic back on the Emerald's Edge. While Parfet giggled at the punch line Jay opened the door to the infirmary and cheered "Duelo!...How's it goin'?"

"Not bad" the doctor replied while typing on the medical computer.

Walking past Duelo, Jay entered the back closet just as Parfet said "You know I've never noticed it, but when you're excited the pitch in your voice gets lower. Most people's goes higher".

"Should I be thankful that some likes to spend so much time observing me?" the doctor asked turning around in his chair with his evil interested smile.

Shocked by his sudden response Parfet choked back a breath "Hmm I think I might be a little nervous, my heart just skipped a beat".

"Should I examine you?" Duelo asked her just as Jay walked back by him.

"Don't mind me" the white haired pilot said carrying a roll of gauze with him.

"Uh no I'll be fine" Parfet said to Duelo not taking her eyes off him.

Exiting the infirmary Jay saw Misty briskly walk down the hall and decided to follow her. Entering the peksis core Jay eavesdropped on what Misty was saying to her hologram pet Q-chan.

"How stupid" she said stubbornly "They're all just jumping and bouncing around like little kids, I get it I'm just an outsider".

"Extra! Extra!" Pyoro screamed from the other end of the walkway as he rushed over to Misty with several flyers in his small arm and holding one up to her face "We're holding a special banquet to celebrate our return to Mejere and Tarak".

Narrowing her eyes at the flyer Misty quickly threw her head to the side with an angry grunt. "Why are you pouting?" the NAVI-bot asked her.

"I'm not" Misty replied keeping her stubborn tone.

"Are you lonely?" Pyoro asked her.

"Lonely?" she repeated in a saddened tone before quickly reverting to her stubborn one "There's no way I could possibly be lonely".

"Ah-ha" Pyoro screamed "I knew. I was right I was right".

"Be gone now annoying, miniature, mechanical spawn from the Netherrealm" Jay said finally announcing his presence as he walked across the walkway to them.

Before Misty could retaliate against his presence the peksis began glowing brightly and Pyoro's screen went fuzzy before he started hovering in the air. "Greeeeat this again" Jay groaned as the possessed NAVI-bot began reciting definitions of lonely.

"What's going on with you?" Misty asked the small robot.

"Smack him a few times that usually works" Jay said to her with a displeased tone.

Snapping her head to the side Misty stared at the giant light blue core that powered the Nirvana "Could it be the peksis?"

"Oh it's definitely the peksis" Jay told her "But I'm not very good at talking to the thing, its cryptic remarks bother me".

"Are you lonely to?" Misty asked the peksis through Pyoro.

"Analyzing human emotions, originally peksis fused and separated of its own will, it split up in the research of space in this dimension. A part of us is currently quarantined".

"But why?" Misty asked with a pleading tone.

"When peksis encountered a research ship form Earth there was an accident and it entered a dormant phase".

"Wait, you said the peksis separated? So where's the other part?" Jay asked.

"Do you want to be with the other part?" Misty asked.

"We are interacting, but the other part seems to be involved with the Earthlings".

"With the…Earthlings?" Misty repeated.

"The dark cloud of doubt that fell around them turned the peksis into a form of negative conscience".

"Then you're…fighting with one of your friends" Misty concluded with a sad tone as she reached out to the NAVI-bot "You're calling out, but yet you're enemies" embracing the NAVI-bot and pulling it close to her she asked "You're very lonely to aren't you?"

Quietly backing away Jay felt it was best to leave Misty alone for a bit and decided to return to the bridge. Of course once he got there he saw that the banquet had already started and as he predicted Meia was no where to be seen.

"Oh well her loss" he said regaining his cheerful smile and walking down to the garden section just as the Nirvana cleared the storm.

"Wow" he heard one of the crew members gasp.

"We're in the Mejerian system now" Aramone cheered.

Grabbing a couple of glasses of wine from a nearby table Jay walked over to the captain's side and handed her one "I think a toast is in order don't you Captain?" he asked the aged pirate.

Looking out of the Nirvana's giant windows Jay could see the small planet in the distance that was Mejere, even though he wasn't showing it physically he was shaking with anticipation and excitement.

Back in the peksis core Misty had sat against the railing with her hands cupped under her bent knees while she laid her head against them.

Seeing her Meia walked forward and said "So this is where you've been I wondered". Seeing Misty retract her knees even closer to her Meia asked her to join her at the banquet.

Misty responded quietly "Peksis would be lonely, so I'll stay here".

"I see" Meia resigned "Then I'll stay too".

Back at the banquet Jay was pushing his way through a crowd to get to Hibiki and Jura "Jura, Hibiki" he called over to them.

Looking over to the white haired pilot as he made his way out of the crowd they watched him as he raised an empty glass to them "Great job. Both of you".

Hibiki grunted as he responded with only an arrogant smile just as Barnette agreed with Jay's remark "He's right. You two did a great job, welcome back Jura".

Happy to see Barnette Jura rushed over to her and hugged her best friend gleefully sobbing that she missed her so much that she'd never let go again.

Catching each other giving a short glance both Hibiki and Dita quickly looked away from one another with blushing faces. "All right this ends now" Jay muttered with a smile as he placed an arm around Hibiki's shoulder and his other around Dita's and pulled them both together in a small three person huddle "Come on you two it's a party. Go off and enjoy yourselves a little. Make small talk, have a few drinks open up a bit. Everything we've been fighting is almost within our reach".

After he finished speaking he let go of both of them and said "Now listen I know it's still awkward for you, but give it a shot. Just the two of you alone in a room for a bit, talk about something, there's always hope as long as you're willing to pursue what you really want".

Turning around Jay left the two pilots staring at him in bewilderment as he vanished into the crowd again, once Jay was out of sight Hibiki and Dita looked at each other and their faces turned red.

Exiting the garden section Jay heard the radio on his belt beep again and swiftly pulled it out and held it in front of him before smiling at what he saw _"A full signal"_ he thought as he held it close to his mouth and contacted Kira.

"Jay" Kira said picking up the radio on her end.

"How are you?" Jay asked in a nostalgic tone.

"Pretty excited" she replied with a mixed tone of sad and happy "It feels like an eternity has passed since we last saw each other…I miss you".

"That's definitely a mutual feeling" Jay said quietly "Everything is coming to an end, we'll be at Mejere within a few hours now".

"We're about half a day behind you, but we'll be there before you know it".

"I'll be waiting for you, just remember not to get all teary eyed when you see me" Jay joked.

"You're one to talk" Kira fired back "Remember our last reunion? When you thought I was dead?"

"Overruled" Jay barked "I thought you died of course I was going to cry, you and Meia are the only ones who can give me strength you should know that by now. Besides once this is all over we can all be together again".

"Oh thinking that far ahead into your future are you?" Kira asked "Care to share what you see".

Jay smiled wishfully as he answered "I can see the old house I grew up in, there's just me Meia and our daughter and you're there as always, the one person always with me that I could never shoo away".

Kira began laughing "You've really changed since we went our separate ways Jay its kind of creepy hearing you talk like that".

"Heh. Don't worry I won't be doing that again anytime soon" Jay joked "But I do know regardless of what my future holds you and Meia will always be by my side when I need you the most and I'll always be there for both of you, then again something like that doesn't even need to be said".

"Since when did you get so deep?" Kira asked.

"I'm not really sure" stopping to think for a moment Jay lowered his head "It could be because this war is about to end and I'm finally thinking of everything outside of it. Or it could be because I finally realized how much I can't stand being away from you or Meia, or it could be because I've finally realized my role in life".

"Your role in life huh?" Kira asked "What might that be?"

"Now now" Jay said teasingly "That would be telling".

Kira laughed at Jay's joke before telling him that she was needed back on the bridge.

"Understood, I'll see you when you arrive" he told her just before her radio cut off. "I love you Kira" he said quietly.

Clipping the radio back to his belt Jay looked ahead of him and realized that he had walked himself back to the peksis core. Giving a gruff grunt he smiled in resignation as he walked back into the core room and across the catwalk to Misty and Meia. Before he even stepped on the catwalk he could hear their conversation.

"I was trying to keep myself from feeling lonely" he heard Misty say "Because if I started to think I would start to doubt the very fact that I'm here right now…but now…I'm afraid of being all alone".

"How ironic" Meia said looking up to the peksis "Before, I had always sought solitude. If I didn't trust anyone, I wouldn't be betrayed. I thought that if I could keep from getting close then I wouldn't get hurt" closing her eyes Meia admitted "And I hated myself for thinking like that. But now it's different, I'd like to stay the same even if I had to start all over. Ever since I saw Hibiki's determination to protect everyone on the Nirvana even though we still saw each other as enemies back then I began to find a new path in my life…and when Jay and Kira arrived…it wasn't long until I was able to fully understand my own feelings. I wasn't locking myself away from the world anymore, I have the three of them to thank for that. I still don't know what drove me to feel the way I do about Jay and part of me still fights against it, but I know I love him".

Looking away from the peksis Meia gave Misty a caring smile just as the tears in her eyes stopped. Holding out her hand Meia helped Misty to her feet and put her arm around her shoulder before walking her to the end of the walkway only to be cut off by a smiling Dita.

Quickly stepping forward Dita grabbed Misty's hand and said "Come on Misty you're missing the party".

Watching Dita pull a surprised Misty along with her Meia had a pleased smile on her face just as Jay stepped out from the corner.

"That was a touching speech" he said "Some of those things I could say about you, but we can save that for later". Reaching his hand out to her he waited for her to take it before he gently pulled her to him and kissed her.

After a brief minute they pulled away, "Like Dita said" Jay began before leading Meia out of the core room "You're missing the party".

The second they made it back to the garden section the ship's alarm sounded bringing an abrupt end to the pleasant and cheery moods of everyone on board.

"Mines, everywhere" Aramone cried "The entire sector is one big minefield".

"Not only that" Ezra added "But is seems that the mines are a security perimeter for Tarak".

"For Tarak?" the Captain gasped.

"There's an audio transmission" Ezra announced before activating it.

"This is the Tarak Space Self Defense System. Announce your ship's identification code at once. If you fail to respond we will commence an attack".

Hibiki's screen appeared over the bridge "What do you wanna do? I'm ready to go out anytime!"

"Stay right where you are!" the captain demanded in a hasty voice "This line helps stop or slow down attacks coming from Earth we can't just go crashing through it".

"The defense system has started to activate!" Aramone yelled.

"A Tarak identification code huh?" Magno asked "Don't you men have anything like that?"

Bart's screen appeared over the bridge next to Hibiki's "Codes like that are only given to senior officers we were still junior officers in training".

Both Duelo and Hibiki also admitted that they had nothing that could help.

"The Defense field is targeting us" Aramone cried.

"Remember when I said it would take a lot to ruin my mood today?" Jay asked Meia.

Meia still surprised by the Tarak minefield didn't say anything; she merely looked up at Jay as he stared at the minefield dead ahead of them.

"This qualifies" he said with a subtle expression of anger.

"They've begun their final countdown" Belvedere announced.

"Bring it on" Jay muttered as Meia went to comfort a crying Paiway. "Take your best shot".

With the countdown entering its last ten seconds BC clenched her fists before stepping forward and pressing the green bead in her choker and speaking in a different voice, a male voice. "Tenmei Urasagumi of the Tarak Empire Special Information Bureau. Rank Commander. Identification code Konue 2038. Commence confirmation".

The defense system's cannons retracted to their stand by position "Confirmation complete. We look forward to your ship's success".

Everyone was in disbelief, no. Not disbelief, but shock. BC the commander of the Nirvana, the captain's number 2 one of the three most trusted people on the entire ship…was an Tarak agent in disguise the entire time?

"I'm sorry you had to do that, but there really was no other choice" Magno said surprising Tenmei.

"Are you saying that you knew?" he asked.

The aged pirate leader gave a friendly smile to which Tenmei sighed and exhaled "Even though I deeply deceived you, there is still one truth that remains. You are truly a wonderful person, and even though it was short I really enjoyed the time I served under you".

Just as a two man security team arrived on the bridge to take the Tarak agent to the brig Jay and Meia watched from the garden section. "Hey Meia" Jay muttered.

"Yes?"

"What just happened?"

Meia lowered her head "Honestly I have no idea".

"We're picking up ships from both Mejere and Tarak approaching the Nirvana" Ezra cried.

"They're boarding ships" Celtic confirmed.

"Scans indicate each of the ships are carrying several armed boarding parties" Belvedere announced.

"Tarak boarding parties?" Jay mumbled under his breath, before looking behind him at the elevator. "We'll just see about that" he said before turning around and heading for the hangar.

* * *

**A/N.** Well its been a long time coming...as usual, but I've finally finished chapter 18. And we're officially coming up on the end. With only a few more chapters to go how will things fare for Jay and the rest of the crew?

For those who don't know me very well, don't expect what you're betting on.


	19. One is All

"The Tarak fleet is locked on to the Nirvana" Belvedere announced after receiving the warning light on her terminal.

"Confirmed" Aramone said "The Mejere fleet is behind the Tarak fleet; both fleets are prepared to attack".

"Why would they attack us?" Misty asked "Why would they think we're the enemy?"

"There's more to this than meets the eye" the captain growled before Belvedere received a message from the Tarak fleet. "It says female space pirates are to make an immediate and unconditional surrender. Also the pilot Gelinkos pilot Jay Masterson is to be turned over to the Tarak fleet for crimes against the Tarak Empire".

"Good luck with that" Jay's voice said from the bridge's communications terminal "If they want me they're going to have to come and get me themselves".

"What are you doing in the hangar?" Belvedere asked him after seeing his location "You're not going to fight them are you?"

Jay looked away from the terminal and to his Wyvernn sitting in the center of the hangar "No, I'm getting the Wyvernn out of here before they have the chance to get their hands on it".

Walking away from the terminal Jay boarded his fighter and activated it. "Jay what the hell are you doing?" the captain yelled after watching as the Wyvernn's engines powered up.

Jay didn't answer he merely closed his eyes as he felt his chest tighten.

Once the preparations were complete the Wyvernn took off into space and the Tarak fleet sent several squads after it once they confirmed it had left he Nirvana.

"The Wyvernn's emergency stealth field has been activated, we can't track it" Ezra cried after the Wyvernn vanished form radar.

"He abandoned us?..." Belvedere muttered sharing the disbelief of the rest of the crew that just witnessed Jay's desertion.

"Incoming message from the Mejere fleet" Ezra said "If you intend to follow Tarak's demands we will rendezvous and remove your crew and passengers".

Magno closed her eyes, but before she could say anything Jay's voice cut her off "It'd be best not to push our luck".

Shocked to hear his voice everyone's eyes returned to the hangar bay screen above the bridge "If we act hostile now everyone loses. Just play along now I've sent a message out with the Wyvernn, once the Emerald's Edge finds it they'll get us out of whatever Tarak and Mejere have planned, but for now we have to surrender".

"You could have told us you were just sending out a message" Celtic yelled "You didn't have to make it look like you were leaving us".

Jay narrowed his eyes "I've never abandoned anyone, and I'm not going to start now".

"The Mejere ships are beginning boarding procedures" Belvedere announced.

"All right" Jay acknowledged "Just play along and don't get in the way of the Tarak soldiers. They'll search every inch of this ship until they find something that would give them a clue as to where I went so just leave them to me".

Shutting down the terminal Jay quickly ran up a staircase into the upper section of the hangar and opened a toolshelf and began shuffling around just as the first Mejere party boarded the ship.

As the Mejerian crew stormed the Nirvana arresting every female member of the crew a small Tarak shuttle boarded from the hangar and began heading for the hangar doors. "Get those doors open" the commanding officer said.

Once the group of soldiers spread away from each other and the first soldier stared typing on the hangar door terminal Jay dropped down form the rafters and landed on the commander's shoulders dropping him face first to the floor.

Hearing their commander yell the group of soldiers turned around and one of them gasped "He's still on the ship! Get him!"

The soldier to his left immediately ran over to Jay and reached out to grab him, but Jay grabbed hold of his wrist and yanked him toward him before slinging him around his side with great force making him stumble away and fall to the ground just as the second soldier made his move.

Attempting to slam the butt of his gun against Jay's neck the soldier raised his weapon only to have Jay ducked under and around it and punch him in his underarm before hooking his arm around the soldiers and twisting in the opposite direction while pushing the soldier's arm back toward him simultaneously slinging him around his body.

"You little punk" one of the soldiers roared charging at Jay.

Holding his arm up Jay blocked the soldier's punch before hooking his arm around his and yanking his torso upward to jerk the soldier's arm out of place and following up with three swift punches to his neck before yanking his torso up again and landing a vicious broad side fist slam against his chest literally taking the wind out of him before he released him and weaved his way to the next.

Grabbing the shocked soldier's arm Jay weaved his way behind him and locked his arm behind his back before forcing his arm upward more than it could go and sweeping his legs out from under him and in the same motion circled his leg above the downed soldier before dropping it on top of his chest.

Looking over his shoulder Jay saw the commanding officer trying to get back to his feet and ran over to him, but the commander had baited him.

Pulling a hand taser and shot Jay right in the chest sending thousands of volts of electricity through his body dropping him to the ground.

Feeling as though every muscle in his body was cramping at once Jay screamed through his teeth as every nerve in him suddenly overloaded and shut down before he fell back completely immobilized.

"Jay's been captured by the Tarak group" Aramone told the captain just as the Mejerian party stormed the bridge.

"Well you certainly have a way of greeting people" the pirate leader said to the various guards that held their weapons at her "I guess we'll be accepting your invitation then".

In the peksis core room Duelo led Hibiki, Bart and Pyoro down the catwalk just as he began remembering that everything they had learned during their journey all started in that room, with the peksis.

"What exactly are you planning doc?" Hibiki asked "I don't like seeing guy's with a lot of energy suddenly acting so quiet" he continued glaring at Bart and Pyoro from over his shoulder.

"Bart's been like that ever since what happened with the commander and Pyoro doesn't like being separated from Meimei" Duelo explained before Hibiki faced him.

"Hold on, you figured out I'm of the first generation haven't you?"

Duelo gave a small nod "You seem to be".

"Then just let me talk to the old man" Hibiki told him "I'll get things settled out".

"That would be the most peaceful way to do things" Duelo continued before grabbing Hibiki by the shoulder and injecting him with something, causing him to lose his balance and fall over the railing into the peksis crystal below.

"It swallowed him!" Bart gasped.

"Peksis will keep him safe" Pyoro said to the helmsman also staring over the railing.

"No one has any idea that Hibiki is here in the first place" Duelo explained "This way he can serve as the ace up our sleeve".

"Where did you ever come up with an idea like that?" Bart asked him.

"You can thank the commander" Duelo admitted before Bart slumped to the ground in despair at the mention of the Tarak agent.

"So what should I do?" Pyoro asked hovering over to the doctor.

Jumping to his feet Bart grabbed hold of Pyoro and rubbed his fist against the NAVI-bot's head roughly while he growled "You just lie around here and play dead for a while".

Once everyone on the ship was arrested both the Tarak group and the Mejere group retreated from the Nirvana and returned to their respective flagships with their prisoners in tow.

On one of the Tarak ships towing the Nirvana away Jay was being held in a small holding cell that wasn't even big enough for him to move his arms. "Well I'm glad to see Tarak is smart enough to hold high valued prisoners in a small space. Looks like your leaders deserve some credit after all" he said smugly to the guard watching over him.

"Keep quiet you!" the guard barked.

"Or what?" Jay asked in a taunting voice "You're going to make me go without food and water?"

"I'm warning you" the guard growled "Stay quiet".

"That's enough soldier" the commanding officer that captured Jay said as he entered the room.

Saluting his superior the soldier watched Jay slowly raise his arm up as much as he could and give the commander a mocking salute.

"You arrogant little bastard" the guard growled before the commander dismissed him.

"You really need to train him better" Jay said calmly as the commander walked over to his cell and deactivated the security grid before throwing him a pair of banded cuffs and telling him to tie himself.

"At least buy me dinner first" Jay joked before binding himself.

"Make all the jokes you want Masterson" the commander began before escorting him out of the room "But mark my words, by the end of the day you'll be telling us all the secrets of your world and that warship of yours".

"Better idea" Jay said "You can kiss my ass".

Once Jay finished speaking the commander slammed the butt of his gun against Jay's neck making him stumble forward. "I'll be taking you to a special place once we land so I'd enjoy these last few moments of comfort if I were you".

In a Mejerian court room the crew of the Nirvana were standing trial for treason, and by the words of the judge and the whispering of the attending audience the Mejerian leaders had not told the public about the harvest operation.

"So they're keeping them in the dark?" Misty muttered.

"Talk about playing the victim" Barnette said angrily.

"The verdict is thus. Magno Vivian and her pirate crew are found guilty and sentenced to life. Take them to the place of incarceration" the judge declared before brining down her gavel.

"That's not good" Jay said catching the commander's attention.

"What are you talking about?" his captor asked.

"Hmm?" Jay said looking back to the soldier in front of him "Oh not you I was using a listening device to hear the trial of the Nirvana's crew back on the Mejere fleet" Jay explained showing the commander a small listening device on his shirt's collar.

"Is that so?" the officer asked "And? What's the verdict?"

"Life in prison apparently" Jay told him.

The officer grunted "Women just can't bring themselves to kill off their own kind".

Feeling the ship land Jay looked at the officer and asked "So when do we get to the interrogation?"

"That anxious are you?" the officer said before pulling Jay up roughly by his arm and pushing him out of the ship into the arms of two other soldiers.

Saluting their superior with their free arms they both said in unison with a third "Welcome back Commander Angel".

"Angel?" Jay repeated looking at the commander.

The ranking officer smiled arrogantly "That's right Angel. Gregory Angel to be exact. When I heard that we'd be capturing the female pirate ship and you as well I begged the higher ups to let me lead the team" Commander Angel leaned in closer to Jay "To pay you back for killing my brother".

Jay looked up at the sky through the corner of his eyes as if he was trying to think before gasping "Oh you mean Sean Angel. Yeah right I remember now" Jay gave a fake laugh before looking the commander in his eyes "You know your brother was an asshole".

Finally having enough of Jay's mouth the commander punched him as hard as he could in the stomach making Jay double over.

"Yeah" Jay coughed "That was pretty painful" coughing again Jay looked up "How was that for you?"

Slapping Jay across the face the commander ordered his men to take him to the interrogation room at once.

Back on Mejere, the crew of the Nirvana were hoarded onto a transport ship and being taken to a maximum security prison. Most of the crew was worried, but Misty and Dita were keeping themselves together mostly for the sake of Ezra and her baby, while Magno was talking to Meia.

"Are you scared Meia?" the captain asked the Dread pilot.

"No" Meia replied in a long forgotten, emotionless tone.

Magno smiled "Try not to think about it too much, it doesn't suit you".

"I wasn't" Meia said before looking up into space "I was just thinking of what Hibiki or Jay would say in a situation like this".

"Funny" the captain said still smiling "I'm sure they'd say the same thing you would".

Once the ships landed several well-armed guards escorted the pirates to their new permanent homes. One of the imprisoned females recognized Magno and started a commotion after mentioning her name.

"Wow so I guess you guys are all really famous huh?" Misty asked.

Jura jumped forward and placed her hands together on the side of her face cheering "That's right we're just a band of care-free pirates we have fun no matter where we go".

"You care to explain how this is fun?" Barnette yelled in an annoyed tone showing Jura that they were still in handcuffs.

* * *

"Interrogation time!" Jay cheered throwing his hands into the air.

Seeing the soldiers around him with surprised looks on their faces Jay realized that his hands were free and quickly set them back on the arm rests of the chair he was sitting on "Right I'm supposed to be tied up sorry" he said sliding his hands back through the rough ropes on the edge of the chair's arms.

"You might want to tighten these a bit" Jay told on of the soldiers "It's too easy for me to get my hands free".

"I've had just about enough of your mouth" Commander Angel roared before a knock at the room door "What is it?" he barked.

There was no answer and for some reason an unsettling atmosphere filled the room the silence only broken by Jay giving a smug grunt.

"What's so funny?" one of the soldiers asked him before the door to the room was blown down and a loud deafening popping sound echoed through the room along with a blinding light.

Clenching his eyes shut Jay could just barely make out the deafened sound of gunshots and the soldiers around him screaming as they were shot before hearing a familiar voice through the ringing in his ears.

"Jay. Jay!"

Opening his eyes Jay was still dazed by the effects of the flash grenade, but he knew who it was standing in front of him…Eric Flynn.

"It's about time you showed up Eric" Jay grunted as they untied him "I was just starting to run out of jokes".

"Always looking for fun huh kid?" Eric asked him before handing him an M4 Colt Commando carbine a M9 handgun a small block of C-4, a single flash grenade and a RECON-1 Knife "Come on time to get out of here".

"Right" Jay said after finally shrugging off the effects of the flash grenade "Where's our extraction point?"

"We've secured an abandoned oil refinery a few blocks from here, we've got a chopper waiting to pick us up once we get there" Eric told him before moving out of the room with the four people he brought along.

Jay grunted smugly "So they sent a S.E.A.L. team in to get me huh? You guys really did miss me".

Eric grunted a laugh "We did, but these were orders that came down from the top, all right let's move stay frosty".

Swiftly and quietly moving through the streets of the Tarak industrial area Jay followed Eric and his S.E.A.L team through the back alleys and around several patrol routes before arriving at the oil refinery almost an hour later.

"All right I'm going to call it in stay down" Eric said reaching for his radio "Commander this is Stalker 2-1 we've secured the target and are ready for extraction begin the final phase".

"Roger that Stalker 2-1" O'Brian's voice returned "Sending in the UAV now".

"A UAV?" Jay asked "Things are about to get heavy".

Looking up to the sky Jay saw the UAV reveal itself from behind a cloud cluster before firing a missile down to a nearby guard post causing a panic and a distraction.

"Let's go!" Eric ordered quickly sprinting across the street and to the oil refinery with Jay and his team right behind him.

Slowly opening a door Eric peeked his head inside with his M4 carbine in his hand before moving forward. "All right let's go" he whispered before silently running down the hall followed by his team.

"There's one guard in the hut" Eric pointed "He's probably trying to contact the nearby post to figure out what's going on let's slip by him".

Sneaking by the guard in the hut the S.E.A.L team entered the main section of the refinery through a door that led them into the processing area. "We've got guards on the walkways and patrolling both sides of them room" one of the soldiers said "The way their patrolling is so that they're within sight of each other at all times, the only time they'd be unable to see each other is when they round the corners, but even then the one of the walkway might see us if we try to sneak by".

"Can we call in another strike from the UAV?" Jay asked Eric.

"We could, but if we target this facility we'll place them on alert and the place will be locked down".

"What if we target something nearby, that will shake them, but not make them suspicious?" one of the younger soldiers asked.

"That might work" Eric said "Call it in".

"Right" the soldier said before a gunshot echoed through the area and the soldier went down.

"Contact" another soldier yelled firing back at the guards that spotted them.

"Let's go" Eric said as he and Jay pulled the downed soldier back and out of the line of fire.

"Come on soldier get up" Eric yelled over the gunfire as he pulled the downed soldier to his feet.

"We're going to have to fight our way through to the rendezvous point on the roof".

"We're is it exactly?" Jay yelled.

"On the southwest corner platform, if we go around they could cut us off, but they've got us pinned down pretty good here" Eric said.

"Not for long they don't" Jay growled before jumping out form his corner and sprinting into the open firing a fully automatic burst from his rifle at the guards on the ground as he made his way to cover.

Managing to catch one guard in his shoulder Jay left the guard open for Eric and his S.E.A.L team to finish him off making an opening on the other side of the room for them to pass by forcing the Tarak soldiers to divide their attention.

"Move move let's go" Eric yelled as they sprinted across the room to the other side meeting up with Jay who had shot and killed the guard on the walkway.

"Nice going Jay" Eric said just before a guard barged out from the corner and tried to stab him, but the former S.E.A.L had more than enough battle experience to handle himself. Grabbing the guard's knife arm Eric twisted it as he weaved around behind him and wrapped the guard's restrained arm around his neck to choke and restrain him before stabbing him in the chest with his RECON-1 knife.

"Come on we have to go" one of the soldiers said kicking open a door and running up the stairs before shooting two soldiers that were coming down.

Following the team through the facility Jay had blocked out any regret or distaste he had of shooting other humans as his only priority right now was survival. He had only been in two actual firefights where he had to look at the people he was shooting and he never did like it. He had also shot down plenty of pilots from Tarak, but he had never seen any of their faces he never had to see the pain in their expressions as they died.

"We're almost there just a couple more flights" Eric yelled before a nearby pipe ruptured and cut Jay off from the rest of the team.

"Jay!" Eric yelled.

Jay tried to run through the water and steam, but it was too hot and it would burn him on contact, he had to find another way "Keep going I'll meet you at to O.Z."

Turning around and going down a level Jay entered the 5th floor of the refinery and quickly moved up to and used his knife to slit the throat of a guard that was patrolling the floor.

Just as he moved around the corner Jay was shot in the shoulder and with instinct alone whipped himself back behind the corner as he quickly looked for a way to escape.

Seeing a fenced up boiler on the far side of the room Jay had an idea, but to get there he would have to go into the open and he was already injured. Taking his flash grenade he tossed it around the corner at the advancing enemy team and while they were blinded he ran over to the boiler and slammed the door behind him and stabbed his knife into the lock's latch.

Once the door was barred off he ran to the boiler and unpacked his block of C-4 before sticking it to the underside of the boiler tank and priming his detonator. Placing his hand over his wounded shoulder Jay squeezed the injury to force his blood to pour out and used his bloodied hand to make prints along the tank and the fence to make the soldiers think he had went that way. Using his assault rifle Jay propped it against the inside of the fence and slammed his hand down on it to make sure it would hold the gate before climbing over the fence and hiding at the other side of the room inside a massive cabinet that contained work uniforms and hazard suits.

Hearing the Tarak soldiers on the other side of the door pounding and kicking at the door Jay could feel beads of sweat running down his face as they finally kicked in the door and started searching the room.

There were three of them and he was definitely outgunned, add to it he was already injured, he had to make sure he took out all three of them in one go or this would be his final stand. Once the soldiers spotted his blood on the floor in front of the boiler tank and on the fence the soldier in front said "There's his rifle. He used it to bar the gate; he must be trying to get away by climbing along the pipelines".

"_Come on get closer"_ Jay thought as the soldiers tried to force their way through the gate, but his rifle blocking the gate was holding firm.

"Hurry we can't let him get away!" one of the soldiers said just as they all kicked at once and forced the gate open.

Jay held his breath as the three soldiers entered the fenced area and he clenched his hand around the detonator setting off the block of C-4 he placed under the tank sending the three soldiers into the air and throwing them back.

Dropping the detonator Jay grabbed his M9 handgun and stepped out of the cabinet quickly walking over to the three soldiers and staring at their faces, the glazed look in their eyes showed that they had all died instantly.

Making his way past the destroyed tank Jay was back in the processing room using the pipelines as a walkway as he made his way to the staircase at the other side of the facility.

Finally reaching the other side of the room Jay kicked open the door and sprinted for the roof access without hindrance.

Meeting up with the S.E.A.L team on the roof Jay was pulled onto their evac chopper and they left the oil refinery as the UAV fired another predator missile to cover their escape.

Once they were outside the sector the helicopter met up with a shuttle and fighter escort that would take them back to the Emerald's Edge.

Once back on board the massive warship a team of medics checked the team and Jay was taken to the medical bay to treat his wound.

The second the med bay doors opened Kira's voice screamed "Jay!"

Kira's embrace was something Jay had been waiting for, for several months, but the first thing out of his mouth weren't words of welcome, but a grunt of pain "Watch the shoulder" he whined painfully before she backed away.

"Are you ok?" Kira asked him frantically taking a look at the gunshot wound in his shoulder.

"I've been SHOT!" he replied.

"Hold still" the leader of the medical teams Yukari Telholme told him as she injected some morphine into him to ease the pain while she removed the bullet from his shoulder and dressed his injury.

"Thanks Yukari" Jay said before getting off the medical table and walking out of the medical bay with Kira next to him.

"Jay we have to plan our next move to rescue the crew of the Nirvana" she said.

"I've already begun on that part" Jay told her "All I need to know is where they are. Gather a team in the briefing room".

"Right" Kira nodded before hugging him before she left.

Half an hour later Jay was staring at a map of the prison facility the Nirvana's crew as being held in "All right so if we go in here" he muttered to himself pointing at the map "And then exit here" his thoughts were cut off after the doors slid open and a group of 8 people including Kira entered the room.

"Welcome back Jay" Captain Kavai said saluting her former student.

"Thanks, but we don't have time for the reunion" Jay told her before turning around and looking at all of them.

"This is going to be a more difficult mission than the one to rescue me" he said "Extracting the crew of the Nirvana will not be easy so I want all of you to guard the extraction point" he said pointing at the eastern wall of the prison. "I want a shuttle there ready to breach the wall and extract me and the crew once I've rescued them".

"You and the crew?" O'Brian asked. "You're not planning on going in there alone? You're good Jay, but not even you could survive that".

"It's a prison O'Brian not Silent Hill" Jay fired back "And even if it was. It would take an act of God to keep me from getting back to Meia and the rest of the crew. Now I want all of you to be ready. If anything goes wrong with this mission a two fighter team will take out each of the guard posts at the sides of the facility. That will make a sufficient distraction for us to get out".

Looking away form the map and to the people around him Jay narrowed his eyes and spoke in a tone as if he was still captain "Now you all have your mission, there's no fancy details no special tactics to this. So suit up we're leaving in ten".

Once the group left the briefing room only Kira and Jay remained "You're crazy" Kira said to him.

"Maybe, but what I said still stands" he muttered as he walked over to her and hugged her "Nothing could ever keep me from returning to you or Meia. Nothing".

Releasing Kira from his embrace he said "Let's go get ready".

Kira nodded as she followed him down the hall and toward the auxiliary hangar.

Once everyone was onboard the shuttle took off to the Mejerian prison and the mission to rescue the crew of the Nirvana would start once Jay was dropped off.

"ETA to the prison 5 minutes" Kira said as she flew the shuttle.

"This shuttle won't be detected by their radar systems so all we have to do is find a nice quiet place to drop you off and then we'll head for the extraction point right?" O'Brian asked.

"You got it" Jay said as the prison came into view.

"All right this is it" Jay yelled as the shuttle's doors opened and he stared into the abyss that was space before setting his gaze on the prison not far below him "See you on the other side" he said before jumping out and floating to the prison below him.

Once he landed he drew his M9 handgun and his RECON-1 knife and entered the facility through a damaged docking bay.

Holding his gun in his right hand Jay tightly held his right wrist on his left as he kept a firm grasp on the knife in his left hand. Creeping through the facility Jay spotted several guards, but none of them saw him as he walked up to each of them and in a single, silent movement knocked them out.

Reaching the west end of the facility Jay's radio beeped and he placed it to his ear "What is it?"

"Jay two things" captain Kavai told him. "First we've detected a small shuttle leaving Tarak. The Nirvana's helmsman, doctor and commander are all onboard".

Jay smirked "Good and the second?"

"Our sensors have picked up the exact location of the Nirvana's crew. They're being held in the cell block adjacent to you".

"Well this won't take as long as I thought then. Great work, keep me informed of any changes".

Clipping the radio back to his belt Jay made his way through the current cell block being sure to avoid all the guards he could before finally arriving at the entrance to the next block. Just before he opened the door the entire station shook and alarms were going off all over the place. Hearing his radio once again he pulled it to his ear and whispered "What the hell is going on?"

"I'm not sure" Kavai answered "We've confirmed multiple Mejerian Dreads attacking the facility and one has even docked. I don't know what's going on, but there's a lot of commotion everywhere".

"Fantastic" Jay said sarcastically before Kavai cut him off.

"One more thing, there are a lot of guards in the next block and they're all on high alert so be careful".

"Roger that I'll see you when its time to leave this rock".

Throwing open the door in front of him Jay sprinted into the next block jumping and taking down a surprised guard before bolting down the next hall and heading toward the section the crew of the Nirvana was being held in.

As he ran through the prison he could hear the surprised gasps and murmurs of the female prisoners. They had no idea why there was a man there, but clearly they were thinking that he was involved with the attack on the facility.

Hearing the unmistakable sounds of battle Jay hid himself behind a corner right next to the cell door of a group of prisoners.

Seeing the three women staring at him Jay looked over to them and nodded "How ya doing?"

"Who are you? Are you the one who's attacking the place?" one of them asked quietly.

"Nope. Can't take credit for that, I'm just here to rescue some people" Jay explained before the fighting stopped.

"Everyone here is a woman though" the prisoner said "Why would you want to rescue anyone here?"

Jay looked at her and smiled "You'd be surprised to learn that I come from one of many worlds where men and women live together, in peace".

"Seriously?" one of the prisoners said. "Does such a world exist?" another one asked.

"Shh" Jay told them as he heard a mass cluster of footsteps heading their way.

Tightly gripping the handle of both his knife and handgun Jay waited until the sound of the footsteps were literally right around the corner from him before he leapt out and pointed his gun at the first person he saw and the tip of his knife at the throat of the next, but the person he was facing had a laser ring pointed at him the second he came around the corner.

Quickly realizing who was standing in front of him Jay cried out her name "Meia!"

"Jay?" the blue haired pilot gasped.

Quickly lowering his weapons Jay threw his arms around his girlfriend and held her as if it was the first time they had seen each other in years. Pulling away from her he placed his hands on each of her shoulders and looked around at the rest of the crew "Are you all right is everyone ok?"

Meia nodded "Yes we're all fine, but how did you?"

"Like I said once the Emerald's Edge found us everything would be fine" Jay told her before calling Kavai and the shuttle "Kavai I've meet up with the crew of the Nirvana, but they've already escaped with the help of whoever attacked this place I'll be leaving on one of their shuttles so go ahead and head back to the ship without me".

"Roger see you once you've taken back the Nirvana. Kavai out".

"Well well young Jay you continue to surprise me" captain Magno said stepping forward.

Jay gave his captain a thumbs up "You didn't really expect to be rid of me that easily did you?"

The aged pirate smiled just as their rescuer stepped forward "Who is that captain?"

Magno looked up to the woman and said "Oh right. Rebecca, this is Jay Masterson. We picked him up many months ago during our journey across the galaxy. He's helped us countless times since then, he's become a very valuable member of the crew".

"An honor to meet you Rebecca" Jay said giving her a half bow.

Rebecca showed some hesitance, but Magno put her worries to rest "You'd be quiet surprised once you've learned everything we've been through".

"Well let's get out of here then, that way you can tell me all the sooner" Rebecca said before leading them all to their way out.

Once everyone was back on the Nirvana, the docking bay doors opened and Hibiki and Pyoro were there to greet them. "Hey Old Lady what took you so long?"

"Sorry to keep you little one" Magno apologized "I've been a little tied up as of late".

"Back home" Jay cheered from behind Meia "Hey Hibiki thanks for getting the place ready for us. What have you been doing just sitting around?"

"Don't blame me dammit" Hibiki barked "The whole ship is locked down we can't do anything like this without Barnette's code".

"Oh that's simple" Barnette said taking hold of the data pad "It's a word we all know. See" she said typing in the code and showing it to him. "Smile".

Hibiki growled "Everything's gotta be so cheesy".

"Save your sulking for later" Meia said walking over to him "Its time to go, you ready?"

Returning to the bridge with the captain and the bridge bunnies Jay stood along side the captain where BC normally would just as Belvedere activated her terminal and announced the presence of a pod from Tarak.

After the pod was intercepted Bart quickly ran for the bridge and stood in front of the captain saluting her "Sorry to keep you waiting. Bart Garsus reporting and ready to serve".

Magno surprised to see Bart's new mood smiled before saying "You're late. Quit wasting time and get back to your station".

"Roger that Captain" Bart said happily before turning for the helmsman portal.

"Well how long are you going to stand there?" Jay asked turning around to face Tenmei who was standing in the doorway "I'm not going to do your job for you so get over here".

Tenmei clenched his fist, reluctant to go back after his deception he knew there was no way they'd ever let him back on the ship.

"I don't recall relieving you of your position as commander" Magno said turning to look over her shoulder.

Gasping Tenmei stepped into the room and looked at his former captain "Does this mean that you forgive me captain?"

"To forgive or to blame? I'm correct to assume you'll be returning to us as Buzam am I right?"

"Yes" Tenmei choked "Thank you very much".

"However!" Magno interrupted "There's only one condition" stopping to smile the captain said "Could you go back to the voice you were using before?"

Tenmei smiled "Very well" he said before activating his voice changer and returning to the voice of BC.

Stepping forward the returning commander of the Nirvana grabbed hold of the collar of her Tarak uniform and tore it off of her revealing the clothes that she always wore under it and taking her spot at her terminal.

"Now hear this! All Nirvana crew all stations stand ready, everyone else stand level 3 emergency status" she ordered "Bart set course for 538. Ezra give me a status report on all of Nirvana's systems, Cel open a line of communications with Rebecca".

Pleased to see her 2nd in command returning to her old self the captain had a happy grin on her face before feeling a clenching pain in her chest and doubling over. Fighting against it the captain activated her terminal's speaker system and spoke to the crew "Listen up everyone! Even if our backs are up against the wall, no matter how painful it may get. Don't even think about taking the easy way out, there will be no dying aboard this ship. There's a bright and somewhat cruel future ahead for all of you".

Sitting ready in his Vanguard's pilot's seat Hibiki smiled as he rubbed his nose "She's still just an old lady with a big mouth".

With every last member of the Nirvana's crew ready for what was ahead of them the pirate ship flew off into the distance ready for the final battle.

* * *

**A/N.** A 1, 2 punch updated twice in one day? My special way of saying the end is almost here. Its funny, I can't wait to get to the end, but at the same time I don't want it to end...Oh well if anything I can walk away knowing I had fun every step of the way.


	20. Final Battle Pt 1

Across the entire Nirvana everyone single member of the crew was helping to prepare for the finale battle. Everyone from hangar hands to engineers and technicians to pilots, everyone was doing their part no one would settle for anything less than a hundred percent.

In the main hangar Jay was directing the hangar hands around while he gauged his Wyvernn's predicted optimal performance levels. "That won't be good enough" he muttered before looking up from his laptop to a group of hangar hands having trouble with a hover cart "Don't waste time trying to fix it just grab another one".

A rapid beep from his laptop pried his attention away from the struggling group. "Yeah?" he asked tapping a radio sitting in a side compartment.

"Jay" Kira's voice said from the other end "Our preparations are going smoothly they'll be done within the hour".

"Great to hear, at this rate you might be done before we are"

"That's all for now, so I'll keep you posted until we actually rendezvous with you" Kira said before turning off her radio.

Turning off his end of the radio Jay looked up to his Wyvernn and smiled "It all ends today. Whatever you really are, I trust you're ready right?"

After a brief silence Jay chuckled "I am crazy, I'm talking to a fighter jet expecting it to answer me".

Stepping down from his platform Jay walked away from his fighter and over to Hibiki who was talking to BC. "Yo Hibiki!"

The young Tarak pilot looked down at Jay asked "What is it?"

Jay gave him a thumbs up "Whatever happens I want you to know it's been real".

Hibiki gasped before smiling in the same over confident way he always used to "Don't go getting all valiant like that. The battle hasn't even started yet…But yeah, it's been real for me to".

Keeping his own smile Jay looked over to BC "Commander. The Emerald's Edge have doubled their preparations, they'll be joining us within the hour".

BC nodded "Great to hear, you're world has been involved with the harvest long before we have. I can only imagine how badly you're ready to see this end".

Jay grunted as he turned around "It's been a long time since then. I was only 13 when this all started for me, so it's been a good six years" Jay paused as he looked over to his fighter and then to Meia who was at the other side of the hangar, before he turned back around toward BC "But I'll tell you this much, I wouldn't ask for those past years to be any different. If it wasn't for what happened that day I wouldn't have become the man I am today, and Kira and I never would've met all of you".

BC, Hibiki and several other crew members around the hangar had a respectful smile on their faces as Jay continued. "As cruel as fate is, as painful as the years have been in this war. I wouldn't trade them for anything".

Pointing his hand at the hangar doors that led to outer space Jay formed a gun in his hand "And I think it's about time we show the harvest what …when you push humanity too far".

Across the hangar Jura and Meia overheard everything Jay had said. "He's still the same" Jura sighed "He hasn't changed at all since he first got here".

"I wouldn't be so sure" Meia said to her "When Hibiki got here we all started to change, and then Jay and Kira joined us" Meia raised her head to look at the ceiling "Actually I think we've all been brought together for a reason. Maybe fate does exist, if we had never met we'd still be the same as we used to be. So I'm with Jay, I wouldn't give any of this up for anything".

Jura sighed again "Jeeze Meia, you're starting to sound like the captain".

Meanwhile, on Tarak an old man had entered the council chamber and showed a pot with a small sprouting plant inside "See. Even in this parched world of ours somehow life still manages to continue".

"You didn't come all this way just to show us that" one of the council members spoke up. "So why are you here?"

"I suppose you'll retain that whimsical nature of yours until you die huh?" the man with the plant said.

"That's exactly right Jean" an aged female voice said before a monitor popped up near the leader of Tarak. "Grandma!" the leader gasped.

"Long time Grandma" Jean said "Or dear sister Aunale".

"Stop fooling around" Grandpa demanded "You volunteered to guard all of the people sleeping underground, why are you here?"

"The time has come" Jean said to the Tarak leader "100 years ago; we came here on the colonization ships, we put our roots into this soil and believed that it would be up to our mother Earth to increase the number of descendants".

Grandpa asked Jean "What are you getting at?"

Jean continued "It is now time that we pull back from them, the future is not ours".

"What! One of Grandpa's advisors yelled "What are you saying? It was a tough decision to make Zen Grandpa and Aunale Grandma. And you!"

"This colonization was meant to be for the prosperity of humanity" Jean interrupted "Not for them to forcefully take our bodies away".

The same advisor objected "But we can't let everything we've done go to waste! We've made far too many sacrifices for that".

"Do you think that justifies taking the lives of the children that call this world home?" Jean asked him before moving his eyes to Grandpa "Is that what you think?"

"What are you suggesting?" another advisor asked "Are we to repeat what happened 100 years ago?"

"I'm not going to give in this time" Jean said lowering his head.

"Then we won't have a resolution" Grandpa concluded "With the eight of us that leaves us with a split vote".

Jean muttered "Are you sure of that?"

Back on the Nirvana Jay was helping Meia make some modifications to her Dread, "Trust me use this piece instead" he said handing her a small circuit chip "It'll speed up the lock on process, that way you can acquire target's faster".

"So what is it about the Wyvernn that makes it so similar to the Dreads?" Meia asked him after taking the chip.

Jay looked over to his Wyvernn before he told her the story of the Wyvernns "Well it's probably the biggest coincidence in existence, but the Dreads and Wyvernn have the same internal systems. When we first found an abandoned Mejere station we found a couple of Dreads as well, they were different models, but they had the same internal systems. We salvaged them and did what we could to repair them before testing them out for ourselves, once we saw how well they performed we reproduced them into 4 fighter jets that could perform better than any other ship out there, whether in space or within a planet's atmosphere".

"So that's how the Wyvernns were made?" Meia asked him.

Jay nodded "Exactly, we borrowed a design from Mejere and modified it to our own liking".

Jay looked over to Hibiki "You know something tells me that even if Kira and I never arrived here on the Nirvana you guys would still be heading to the final battle right now".

Meia looked down at her lover and asked "What do you mean by that?"

"Well think about it" Jay told her "Long before Kira and I showed up, he was there to help you through everything. You survived long before we showed up and I have no doubt that you would've made it this far without us".

"You're not doubting your worth as a member of the crew are you?" Meia asked him.

Jay laughed "Of course I'm not" he said "I'm just saying that Hibiki is destined for great things in his future".

"Yeah" Meia agreed "Hibiki Tokai. He's really something".

Jay reached up and gently pulled Meia to him "I still think I'm the lucky one. After all I've got you don't I?"

Meia smiled shyly as she leaned her head against his chest "When this battle is over" she said quietly "Will you…show me how men and women really live together?"

Jay smiled as well "Of course I will, that's gives us something to come back to right? We're fighting for a lot here, not just for the survival of humans everywhere, but for our own personal reasons as well. We're fighting to bring our own lives and futures into reality, that's why I know we'll win".

Letting go of Meia Jay stepped back and turned toward his Wyvernn "Now, let's go show the harvest how bright our future is".

Meia smiled with admiration before she nodded "Right".

Climbing into his fighter Jay opened an unencrypted communication line with the Emerald's Edge and the Nirvana's bridge, a channel that was easily detected by both the Tarak and Mejere ships as well as their home worlds.

"This is Captain Jay Masterson of the Gelinkos Air Force. For years we've struggled against our enemy's evil plans, it all started with an unprovoked attack on Gelinkos. And since that day we've fought against them. I've lost many friends in the past 6 years, close friends and allies alike, even my mother and father, and it was with the help of those I care for, those I love that kept me going through all of it. We're in this together now, and these heartless monsters that have pursued us across the galaxy have finally realized that they're backs are against the wall, which is why they've laid their best cards against us. I don't know if they can feel fear, but we're damn sure going to give them the chance".

Everyone listening in on the speech had mixed emotions, those who had no idea what was going on were confused, but intrigued. And those that knew it all were scared, but ready to fight.

"After 6 long years it's finally time for the final battle. And I don't care if this is my last flight, I'll go down knowing that I secured the future we all truly want. And I'll never back down until that goal HAS BEEN REALIZED!"

As Jay's final words spread across all of the radio channels the peksis began radiating a bright light, far brighter than it ever shined before.

Throwing the thrust lever of his fighter forward Jay launched out into space "Meia, Hibiki, everyone! Let's GO!"

The voices of Jay's friends all echoed over his radio and through the channel he had opened "Right!"

Once everyone from the Nirvana had launched as well Jay opened a direct line to Meia "I'll take point for now, you don't mind do you?"

Meia scoffed "You're going to anyway so why would I bother telling you otherwise?"

Looking over to Hibiki and Dita just as they combined into Vandread Dita Jay smiled again "All right, let's hit them before they hit us".

On the bridge of the Nirvana Aramone announced the presence of Rebecca's ship behind them. "Well I'm inclined to agree with you now captain" Rebecca said before her screen appeared above the bridge "That man you picked up is really something, just like you said".

"Just you wait" Magno told her "You haven't seen anything yet. We've still got Hibiki you know and Jay hasn't even shown you his skills as a pilot".

Hearing the ship's detection alarm go off all of the pilots as well as the bridge crew froze when they saw a harvest flagship approaching from their stern.

"Harvest flagship inbound!" Belvedere announced.

"What impossible!" BC cried "How could it have managed to slip in without us seeing it?"

"As far as I can tell it somehow has Nirvana's recognition codes" Belvedere replied.

Out in space Barnette had separated from the formation in her delivery ship "Just follow me; I'll take the lead on this one!"

"Well still as hot-headed as ever huh Barnette? Didn't I tell you that's a bad habit?" a familiar female voice said.

Pulling her ship to a stop at last second Barnette gasped "Th…that voice!"

"Ms. Gasco!" Dita gasped.

"I see" Celtic said from her bridge terminal "So that's how they knew our ship's recognition codes "Ms. Gasco is flying it".

Gasco's screen appeared above the bridge "It's not Gasco, it's Gascogne!" she growled angrily.

"Well you took your time getting here I see" Magno said to her.

Gascogne smirked and rubbed the back of her head "Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't want to come back empty handed and my souvenir here took a long time to get working again. But I gotta say this big thing is pretty cute once you tame it".

Once the flagship was near the Nirvana Gascogne returned to Reg Central and met up with her former workers as well as Barnette who had also returned to the ship.

Seeing the look on Barnette's face Gascogne told her "Looks like you've done a fine job. I'll take it from here you just go on out and give 'em hell".

Rejoining the Nirvana's formation in her own Dread Barnette said "Sorry for taking so long everyone, I'm ready. Let's do this".

"Righty right" a familiar male voice said over the radios "I heard there was going to be some kind of show around here".

"Rabat" Hibiki muttered.

The tribal man's screen appeared in the bridge as well as to all the Dreads in formation "Thanks to all the markers you left for us you might find a few spectators around".

"Sorry we're late!" Kira's voice said over the radios catching everyone's attention "This is Kira Esperer and the Emerald's Edge, we ran into an enemy fleet trying to sneak in behind you. Don't worry we took care of them".

"Kira!" Dita cheered "Welcome back!"

Kira stood in the center of the bridge of the massive warship "Thanks, it's been way too long".

"Kira" O'Brian said walking over to her.

Looking over her shoulder to O'Brian, Kira said "Yes?"

O'Brian looked over to the current captain with a smile "Go on and take off. I'll take care of everything here".

Kira smiled "All right. I leave it to you then".

Rushing to the hangar Kira boarded her Wyvernn and immediately took off to join the battle, flying far ahead of the Emerald's Edge.

Seeing this on his radar Jay smiled with small tears in his eyes "It's about time you showed up" he said in a happy voice while trying to force back his tears.

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything" she said to him before setting herself in formation along side him.

"Allied ship coming in from the rear" one of the operators said from the Emerald's Edge.

"Allied ship?" Jay asked.

From behind the Emerald's Edge another massive ship appeared, it was half the size of the Emerald's Edge, but still easily twice the size of the Nirvana.

"This is the Gelinkos battleship Halcyon" a voice said from the radios.

"That voice!" Jay gasped.

Another screen appeared to all of the ships in the area showing a middle aged man in a suit standing in the bridge of the battle ship "This is the President of the Gelinkos nation Vrede, James Hamilton. We'll also be taking part in this battle".

"Mr. President!" O'Brian said from the Emerald's Edge "Sir this battle will be massive I advise you stay back".

"Thank you for your concern 1st Lieutenant" the President said "But I've come all this way to see this war ended and I'm not heading back until it's over".

"Another fleet approaching!" Aramone announced from the Nirvana "It's coming in behind Rabat's group".

"Another fleet?" Magno asked as if she was annoyed.

Far behind Rabat's group was a medium sized fleet that were sparkling in the distance "Greetings" a friendly voice said "This is the anti-Earth fleet from Melanos. We're here to show our friendship for Hibiki Tokai. And to the Emerald's Edge, we have a pilot of yours. He's dying to get back to you we're kinda sad to see him go".

"A pilot of ours?" Jay, Kira and O'Brian asked themselves at the same time.

"Hey long time no see huh?" an all too familiar voice said to them.

"No…no way" Jay gasped before a screen appeared in his cockpit showing his friend that he saw die long ago "H…Hideki!"

"Hideki!" Kira gasped.

"It's me all right. Been a long time huh?" he said pointing at himself with his thumb. He was dressed in a smooth silver flight suit with his usual shoulder length black hair cut back and now ear length and his brown eyes showed a long forgotten happiness.

Both Kira and Jay were completely speechless, it really was their old friend, the one they watched die a year ago, but there he was right in front of them completely alive.

"We can share stories later, we've got a war to end right?" he asked them keeping himself in formation with the fleet from Melanos.

"This is the Toroki, flagship of the next Tarak fleet. We are in agreement with your objective and would like to join you" the captain of the pursuing Tarak ship announced flying in behind the Melanos fleet.

Another screen appeared showing a middle aged man smoking a cigar with a scar under his left eye "This is General Azakei Kunemale, commander of Azael squadron a group of attack Vanguards. Please allow us the honor of being the first into battle".

"This is the Mejere border guard here" a female voice announced from an incoming fleet "Would you like some assistance?"

"Wow!" Ezra gasped on the bridge "They're all coming out of the woodwork aren't they?"

"The beacons are signaling" Celtic announced "Several large objects have been detected and they're heading this way".

"So they're finally here huh?" Jay said in a cheery tone "It's about time".

Far ahead of the allied fleets the harvest appeared from the massive magnetic storm with an even large fleet than the storm itself.

"The harvest fleet has entered combat space" Aramone said turning to face BC.

Seeing the fleet ahead of them O'Brian on board the Emerald's Edge threw his hand forward and yelled "All squadrons launch now. Emergency protocol level 5".

In each of the hangars of the massive warship a green light accompanied by an emergency alarm lit up everywhere, giving the pilots the go ahead to take off into the imminent battle.

"Hey you General Kunemale!" Jay yelled over the radio as the fighters began pouring out of the Emerald's Edge from both sides "If you want your squadron to be the first into battle then you'd better attack now, because we're going in hard".

The Tarak general smiled "Hah! Looks like a good day to die!"

The Vanguard squadron charged into battle accompanied by the Gelinkos fighters immediately taking down several harvest copies of the Vandreads.

"Kira its time!" Jay yelled before throwing his thrust lever forward.

"Right let's do it" Kira cheered before flying after him and turning her Wyvernn into his.

Both fighters were engulfed in a bright light that covered the entire battlefield before leaving behind the ArchAngel.

"What is that?" the President of Vrede gasped form the bridge of his battleship as Hideki gazed at the new mecha he was seeing for the first time _"Jay, Kira…so you really are the Holy Knights huh?"_.

"Laser rain ready" Kira said.

"Fire!" Jay cried right behind her.

The ArchAngel curled its arms and legs inward as its wings folded over it before throwing them all back and unleashing a devastating rain of divine white lasers down upon the enemy's front line annihilating half of it just as Vandread Dita's dual cannons fired vaporizing the other half of the enemy line.

From the Nirvana Gascogne activated the flagship she 'tamed' and sent out the cube types which were a golden color. The allied cube-types flew after the harvest Vandreads and latched onto them before pulling them apart.

"Launch the attack!" Meia ordered to the Dread teams just as Bart opened the sides of the Nirvana unleashing its barrage of laser blasts.

On the Gelinkos battleship Halcyon the president ordered "All main batteries take aim and fire!"

Every weapon and gun battery on the battleship turned toward the incoming enemy fleet and open fired just as every ship in the other allied fleets began attacking.

Vandread Dita had sped into the center of the battle taking down enemy after enemy until a massive Harvest mecha appeared before them and began charging its main weapon.

"Oh no!" Dita cried before two Dreads knocked the harvest mecha off balance and a single white laser swiftly cut through it.

"Meia, Valore and Jay and Kira!" Dita cheered.

"Come on you two" Jay said "We're not going to have time to look out for you".

Hibiki smiled "Don't get cocky you haven't seen nothin' yet".

Once Vandread Dita separated and Vandread Meia replaced it Jay looked over to Kira and nodded before the ArchAngel too separated into the Wyvernns and resumed their attack.

On the Emerald's Edge a member of the engineering crew contacted O'Brian "Sir! The Nightmare cannon is prepped and ready to be fired at your order".

"Very well, standby" O'Brian told the engineer before looking to the radar "All allied units be advised we're targeting the right flank of the enemy formation watch the area for debris. 10 seconds until firing. Countdown begin".

Once the 10 seconds were up O'Brian ordered the Nightmare cannon to be fired and the tip of the Emerald's Edge opened revealing a massive super gun in its center. "Fire!" O'Brian yelled.

The massive cannon fired a single super sonic shell at the right side of the enemy fleet completely vaporizing it of impact even managing to cause devastating damage to one of the flagships.

"Direct hit!" one of the bridge operators yelled "Recharge time is 5 minutes".

"Another big signature detected coming out of the magnetic storm!"

"That's the big boy" Rabat said "That one isn't a flagship at all; it's for destroying planets they no longer need".

"Bring it on!" Jay cried before the ArchAngel was reformed.

At the same time Vandread Meia dispersed and was replaced by Vandread Jura, "All right follow me" Jura cried leading the charge with the ArchAngel and Dreads right behind her.

The Harvest destroyer charged its main weapon and fired it at the allied ship forcing Vandread Jura apart and sending each of the ships flying back.

"Damn that thing is strong!" Jay yelled seeing the damage levels the shockwave alone caused to the ArchAngel.

"Ok then!" Pyoro cheered "It's time for Vandread Pyoro".

The three Dreads and the Vanguard flew together and in a bright light blue light combined into the Super Vandread.

"Wow!" Kira gasped seeing the sheer speed and power of the super Vandread.

"Come on!" Jay said to her "We can't let them lead this charge alone, let's show them the true power of the ArchAngel!"

Kira nodded "Right!"

Both pilots focused their will and their hearts into the controls and their plea was answered in the form of a shining light.

The ArchAngel's armor shined in a powerful light as if it was being powered by a thousand suns before a female voice from the console said "ArchAngel Holy Mode initiated".

"Now let's go!" Jay and Kira cried at the same time charging into battle just as Jura activated a giant attack from the super Vandread.

Curving its arm back the ArchAngel charged its laser before throwing its arm up in an underhand pitching motion firing a focused more powerful form of its laser beam attack which sliced through the harvest destroyed just as the super Vandread's laser hit it dead on.

A massive, fiery cloud engulfed the enemy ship taking it out of view. "Was it that easy?" Hibiki asked himself as the pilots watched from their ship.

The Harvest destroyer finally came back into view, it was completely unharmed due to a massive shield it covered itself with, and it's advanced wasn't impeded in the least.

Jay's hands began shaking and an anxious smile crossed his face "Bring it on" he muttered in a shaky, anxious voice "BRING IT ON!" he roared before charging back into battle.

* * *

**A/N.** Well this is it. The final battle, with only 2 more chapters to go its time to get ready. The harvest have laid they're strongest cards on the table and the Nirvana alongside their new allies are bringing everything they've got as well. This war will only end once one side is wiped out completely.


	21. Final Battle Pt 2

Butan used her controls of Rabat's ship's weapons and unleashed a barrage of lasers and ammunition that completely annihilated several special types as well as one of the harvest flagships.

In Rabat's ship a message suspended by chains appeared on his main console reading "Bullets Exhausted".

Rabat placed his hand against his head "Geez, biggest waste of money in the universe" that's when Gascogne appeared on his screen.

"Looking for some bullets? I'll sell 'em to you cheep".

"Oh come on, you know I need 'em" the tribal man begged.

At the end of the battlefield the Harvest Destroyer charged in a red aura before firing an entire network of red lasers in every frontal direction striking against every allied ship except Rabat's. If it weren't for the shields of each ship they'd all be goners.

"All section leaders report status to damage control" BC ordered from the Nirvana just as O'Brian did the same from the Emerald's Edge.

"You want status!" Bart cried "She's not responding!"

Down in engineering one of Parfet's workers said "The peksis isn't working. It's frozen up".

"This isn't good" Magno said just as Rabat's screen appeared "No doubt about it. Whatever you did you've definitely got the folks of Earth pissed off in a big way".

In front of the Harvest Destroyer both the ArchAngel and Super Vandread were completely unharmed thanks to a shield from the Vandread.

"That all you got!" Jay taunted.

"They've sure got a nasty way of saying hello" Hibiki muttered.

Dita wondered "The peksis from Earth, but they're all red".

Pyoro answered "The peksis is a being that changes reflecting the hearts of those who touch it. Red in the color of danger, a closed heart that doesn't accept others".

"A closed heart" Meia repeated. "That doesn't accept others" Jura finished.

On both Tarak and Mejere, the leaders were watching the battle rage on all in complete silence. That is until President Hamilton from the Gelinkos battleship contacted them both.

"Finally I got through" he muttered. "Leaders of Tarak I'd like to take this chance to begin peace negotiations between Tarak and Gelinkos".

"Peace negotiations?" one of them muttered. "At a time like this? Is he insane?" another continued.

The president looked off screen to one of his officers then nodded "Yes go ahead" he said before returning his attention to the screen "This war between us did start with an attack by one of your soldiers though I can understand why he attacked one of our own because of the stories he grew up with this war was escalated when your officials decided to attack our homeworld. I as well as the other world leaders of Gelinkos are willing to forgive and call an immediate end to any and all military hostilities between our worlds".

"Why do this now of all times?" one of the counsel members asked him.

The president closed his eyes for a second "If we lose this battle I'd rather it be as allies than enemies with a common foe. If we can win this battle I'd rather it also be the end of another war in which too many lives have already been lost which is also why I've opened this same line to the leaders of Mejere as well, there's someone I'd like to introduce to all of you".

A woman in her mid 40's walked forward and hooked her arm around the president's. She had blonde hair and brown eyes with beautiful tan skin standing just around 5'8.

"This is my wife Mina. We've been married for 22 years and this is our daughter Alex" he said before a girl around the age of 13 maybe 14 joined them resembling her mother in every way. Both Grandpa and Grandma our from the first generation so they both know that it is possible for men and women to live together, I'd like for all hostile relations to be ended between all of us there's no reason for us to be fighting there's no point to it".

Grandpa look at the three Tarak men in the Nirvana's crew, and Grandma look at the female pirates that run the Nirvana. All of them as well as the two pilots from my own country have co-incited for who knows how long now. And from what it looks like they've become quite found of each other. It all just goes to prove that there is a way for us all to live in peace regardless of where we're from".

The president's ship shook violently and the president immediately looked over to his right "Damage report!"

"Sir our shields have been breached!" an officer yelled. "Batteries 5 and 7 are offline!" another cried "Batteries 2 and 1 are also malfunctioning".

"Sir you must get to an escape pod and get to the Emerald's Edge now!" the ship's second in command yelled.

"Get my family to the escape pods, but I'm not going anywhere" the president ordered.

"I'm not leaving dad!" Alex barked "We can win this and I'm not leaving until we do".

The battleship shook again "Final shields have been lost we're wide open" the first officer said.

"Enemy flagship charging main weapons. IT'S COMING OUR WAY!"

Everyone on the bridge of the battleship froze so did everyone in the meeting chambers on both Tarak and Mejere as they watched the harvest flagship charge it's main weapon ready to finish off the Gelinkos battleship.

Just before the flagship fired its cannon a joint attack by the Tarak Azael squadron and the Baron Bomber squadron from the Emerald's Edge silenced the beast's cannon before Skeleton squadron finished it off in a single pass from both sides.

"HAHA!" General Kunemale cheered violently "Take that you bastard!"

"Nice moves there General" captain Eric Flynn said as his screen appeared in front of the Vanguard squad leader "Once this battle's over drinks are on me".

"I'll hold you to that, just don't die out there" Kunemale replied before flying back out into battle.

The president looked back to his screen with a frightened look of relief "You see? They've put aside their differences, if our soldiers can do that we can as well. As leaders we're supposed to be an example for our soldiers, I know we can all live in peace if you just agree to end this war between us and each other".

Both Grandpa and Grandma remained silent.

Out in space, at the end of the battle Hibiki could sense the presence of someone inside the Harvest Destroyer glaring at them without expression.

Gritting his teeth the young pilot yelled "It doesn't matter if you don't want to accept us" the Vandread held its hand out against it's other hand as its sword began emerging from its palm "You're going to have to whether you want to or not".

Once the Super Vandread charged forward, Jay and Kira followed suit in the ArchAngel "Bring it!" Jay yelled.

The Super Vandread cut its way through the copies of the Vandreads just as ArchAngel used its clawed hand/sword arm to destroy copies of the Wyvernns.

After the harvest copies were destroyed the Harvest lead ship immediately charged and fired its main cannon which split into two beams striking both the super Vandread and the ArchAngel head on forcing them both to separate into the Dreads, Vanguard and Wyvernns.

Quickly leveling his fighter Jay yelled "You haven't won yet!" before he flew back into battle firing several missiles and bombs at the Destroyer.

Jay's attacks seemed to have no visible affect against the Destroyer's shields so he quickly circled around for another attack just as Hibiki regained control of his Vanguard and charged forward with his sword colliding with the shield of the enemy.

Holding his ground, Hibiki struggled against the enemy's shields trying to force his way through. "Damn you!" he yelled just as Jay fired a round of missiles at the surround sections of the shield allowing Hibiki to force his attack on a single point and make a hole for both of them so slip through.

Kira, Jura, Meia and Dita tried to follow after them, but the shield was complete again and they were cut off. "Mr. Alien!" Dita cried was they were cut off. "Jay" Kira gasped quietly before a red net formed around all of them and their ships were encased in red crystals.

"Oh no!" Aramone cried from the Nirvana's bridge.

"That shield can't be broken with just Dreads" Barnette yelled after her screen appeared to the side with Valore's screen also showing on the other side of the main screen.

"What should we do now Captain?" BC asked

"It looks like we just have to trust those kids now" Magno responded before looking to Barnette and Valore "Barnette! You and Valore take command of the Dread teams for now. We still have plenty of enemies to deal with here".

Inside the crystalline traps the three dread pilots and Kira were all being crushed by an immense pressure. "What is this!" Jura gasped.

"Is this also some power of the peksis?" Meia asked.

"Jay hurry" Kira said, doing her best to withstand the pressure while Dita continued to call out to Hibiki.

Inside the Harvest Destroyer both the Wyvernn and the Vanguard were hanging from the ceiling while the two pilots were lying face down on the floor far below in a massive empty room with some kind of throne in the back and a small boy sitting in it.

"My head!" Jay yelled in a comic style voice before he tried to get up along side Hibiki.

Seeing the boy sitting in the throne Hibiki looked up and asked "So are you…an Earthling?" Just then a bone breaking pressure leveled Hibiki back to the floor alongside Jay.

"Everything is hopeless" a strong, hollow male voice said before images of the trapped pilots appeared above the boy in an arced wave.

"Mr. Alien!" Dita cried seeing Hibiki on her screen.

"So it's you!" Hibiki yelled while Jay tried to reach down his side and to his waist.

"Is that your voice I heard?" Meia asked the boy on her screen.

The same strong, hollow voice answered "Peksis seems to have taken an interest in you. You have developed rather peculiar powers by synchronizing with peksis".

"Mr. Alien!" Dita cried again "Are you alright?"

"Somehow" Hibiki grunted trying to get back to his feet.

"You are all incomplete" the voice of the red peksis said before Jay jumped back to his feet.

"How's this for incomplete!" he roared taking his M9 pistol from its holster and firing the entire magazine at the boy.

After the hammer on Jay's pistol clicked and locked itself back he stared at the boy who was completely unharmed just as Hibiki began pushing himself up. "That's new" Jay mumbled before another wave of pressure forced both of them back down, causing Hibiki to snap his elbow back.

The boy in the throne looked up "Zen, leader of Tarak. Aunale, leader of Mejere. Thanks to your efforts Earth is eternal".

"What's so eternal!" Misty yelled from the Nirvana's bridge "He's making that up!"

"It's because of our existence that you were even born. Isn't it proper that you should do anything for our benefit? Yet you continue to get in our throughout the universe, at this rate Earth will fall to ruin. It is for that reason that we choose the best method for mankind's prosperity".

Across the Nirvana, across every allied ship in the battle across Tarak and Mejere even across Gelinkos far away from the battle everyone was gathered around every available monitor watching, listening to the battle and the voice of the peksis.

"We are all children of Earth, we must not perish. Compared to those unfortunates who are not allowed to die, you should be happy because you are able to die. You shall continue to live as a part of us".

In the Nirvana's medical bay Duelo set his datapad on the console "In a way. He's got a point".

"Isn't this the greatest virtue for humankind?" the voice of the red peksis asked them all "To altruistically die for someone else. It's not just anyone who could do that. All of you were born with that destiny. Rejoice in your destiny!"

On the Nirvana the bridge bunnies had completely lost their morale. Each of them were beginning to think that really was their destiny.

"No that's not true!" Dita cried "You call it destiny, but it's nothing more than cold-blooded murder!"

"Exactly!" Kira yelled "You're not just taking away people's lives. You're taking away their right to exist".

"Come now little one, Open your heart" the peksis told them "This future contains beauty in its simplicity. It is the only solution; you must open your hearts to it".

"You're wrong!" Hideki's voice yelled from the radio's before his screen appeared on every ship in the battle "I may act like a fool a lot just to get a cheap laugh from someone, but I know for a fact that there's nothing beautiful about that. You monsters had your chance and now that your lives are drawing to an end you selfishly seek us out and use us like cattle to extend your life. That's now the way the world works!"

"Foolish child" the peksis said before Dita began crying.

"No you're wrong. Maybe I am just silly and clumsy, but there's never been anyone who treasures people's feelings more than I do. I'd happily give my life and body to the people I care about, that's my choice and I'd only go that far because of how I feel about them. There's a difference between my choice and having someone like you just take it from us!"

"Dita" Jura muttered "That was amazing" looking down at the boy Jura continued with an angered, determined smile "You listen here no matter how powerful you are or how important you think you are, you'll never have what it takes to open someone's heart".

"Regardless of what happens our lives are finite" Meia said "We all know that we will grow old and that someday our lives will end, that's why we try so hard to live each day to the fullest. That's why we keep stumbling on by trial and error, but it isn't just for ourselves, it's so we can leave signpost for those who follow behind us. To cowards who cling to where they are and have given up on moving forward. There's no way to see how bright the future is even though it's just around the corner".

"That's right!" Kira yelled with the fiercest determination "Even after all that's happened I've never given up hope. I've always looked for a light to keep me on the right path, even after I lost Hideki I knew everything would be alright if I just kept moving forward instead of hiding in the same spot. And look what happened. He's still alive and he's returned to us, he's right here fighting alongside us just like he did back then and its for reasons like that, the fact that we all care about each other so deeply that we can keep going. No one can get by on their own for ever it takes the strength of those you love to keep you going and pick you up when you fall on hard times. People like you could never understand something like that!"

Rabat slammed his hand against his face and began laughing "Oh man that was too much, these guys sure are entertaining!"

The peksis spoke again "Believing in the future is one of the delusional ravings of the weak. Now you're beginning to bore me".

Both Jay and Hibiki began chuckling.

"I just have to say" Hibiki began using his good arm to push himself back up "How ridiculous it is now that I understand. Even though I might've sounded real mature when I found the proof of my existence, I gotta admit I'm still afraid. I'm actually still trembling with the fear of losing, but now I finally see, what I really need to conquer is myself. It's not the enemy in front of me or their weapons! It's me and my fear!"

The peksis laughed "You still haven't learned".

"You think you're winning here don't you" Jay said getting back to a standing position "But the same goes for you. You're afraid!"

Again a massive wave of pressure fell down on both Jay and Hibiki, but they held their ground refusing to give in.

"You guys are scared to" Hibiki said "You're afraid of what's to come, that's why you keep digging up all of these reasons to convince yourselves am I right?"

"Even after that" Jay continued "There's still a big difference between you and us. Do you know what it is?"

"The difference is" Hibiki said before Jay joined him "Is I've got myself a bunch of true friends!"

Hibiki continued "People who believe in me, even when I get like this, people who think of me like family and scold me when I do something wrong. But you're all alone and you know what. I'm not even scared of some weakling who can't listen to his own heart".

Jay reached out his hand and helped Hibiki to his feet "Compared to facing the darkness in our own hearts. Taking care of you is a joke!"

On the Nirvana the peksis regained its blue aura and shined far brighter than it ever has, without a single trace of dull light around it.

The red peksis however had finally had enough. "I…Truly…HATE YOU!" it yelled sending a new wave of pressure that managed to cut Hibiki's forehead as well as Jay's.

Seeing the blood pouring down Hibiki's and Jay's forehead the trapped pilots gasped while Dita called out to Hibiki.

Looking down at their hands both Jay and Hibiki were shocked. Something like that they had no chance of defeating on their own.

"YOU!" the peksis growled "SHOULD GO AWAY!"

Sending another wave of pressure toward Hibiki the peksis was ready to kill him right there, but Jay stepped forward and threw his right hand to the side just as the wave of pressure hit him knocking the pressure away entirely.

Surprised, Hibiki as well as the trapped pilots looked on as Jay stood there in front of his friend still holding his right arm out to the side as a small amount of blood dripped form a cut on his palm.

"Jay…" Kira, Meia and Hideki gasped as he stood there not so much as trembling.

"You talk about hate and destiny" Jay growled "I can tell you right now you have no right to talk about either. The hate you have for Hibiki pales in comparison to my hate for you. You and the sad people back on Earth who have fallen so far to forget what it even means to be human. And you're talk about destiny. Every person chooses their own destiny something no one can decide for them".

Jay began emanating a fiercesome aura around him for a second everyone thought they could see the ghostly figure of another man standing around him. It looked like a gladiator of some kind, clad in silver armor that stopped at his shoulders and knees standing in the exact same position that Jay was, with his right arm held out to the side.

"And as for the future" Jay began again "You don't have one!" Jay threw his arm in front of him right at the boy sitting in the throne sending his own wave of pressure at him making him flinch and crumble under it.

"For all the suffering you've caused! All the lives you cut short! All the people you've hurt! And all the futures and dreams you've stolen! I'll see you and the entire Harvest operation destroyed!"

Once again the ghostly image appeared around Jay only this time it was different is was the image of a knight fully dressed in armor before being replaced by the image of a woman dressed in smooth plated armor kneeling down and using her hand to draw an imaginary cross in front of her chest. The image was once again replaced by another man who wore blue war paint on his face dressed in Scottish clothing and holding a massive claymore sword above his head giving a war cry before one again vanishing and being replaced by the image of a colonial man leading a charge against an unseen enemy.

He was wearing a pale yellow under shirt with a black colonial coat over it and matching hat with pale white colonial pants and a Colichemarde Sword, before that too was replaced by another image. This time of a bulky man with small glasses a cowboy hat and a blue shirt with pale brown overalls running up to his waist.

"Human lives are not a toy that can be take apart and used to help build or improve on something else" Jay said lowering his hand which was still bleeding "We're not crops or cattle you can slaughter for your own needs, we're people just like you once were and we have a right to continue living and its not your place to decide when our lives end!"

Once again each of the images around Jay appeared in the same order they appeared the first time before rapidly vanishing as if they were just a slideshow leaving Jay standing in front of Hibiki "And like I said" Jay growled "You have no future past today. As the Holy Knight I have the power to bring life or death where needed and you've fallen to the latter".

"Enough!" the peksis yelled sending all of its power into one last pressure wave at Jay.

Jay held his ground standing firm as he guarded Hibiki. Grunting in effort Jay held his hands up in front of him before it became too much for him and both he and Hibiki were thrown back into their ships and launched back into space with the trapped pilots finally freed.

The harvest destroyer opened up and the main part of it separated before turning around and flying away.

"You're not getting away from me!" Jay yelled before the remaining part of the destroyer began charging another weapon that glowed in a black aura.

"I'm not going to let you do what you want anymore!" Hibiki yelled as he and Jay charged after the retreating enemy.

In the Engineering section of the Nirvana, Parfet noticed a change in the peksis and immediately contacted the captain. "Captain! The energy readings on the peksis are the same as when we were thrown across the galaxy!"

"What do you mean!" Magno yelled just as BC answered.

"That time a wormhole opened up because of peksis own self preservation instinct".

"This isn't self preservation!" Pyoro yelled "Peksis is trying to use the energy of the wormhole to tangle up time and space".

"I don't get it" Misty muttered staring at Pyoro on the screen above them.

The NAVI-bot yelled "THEY'RE TRYING TO BLOW UP EVERYTHING IN THIS ENTIRE GALAXY!"

Everyone froze; the enemy's final plan was to destroy everything in the galaxy?

"Hibiki!" Jura cried as Kira and the three Dreads tried to force their way through the shield.

"That same shield again!" Meia said clenching her teeth.

Inside the monstrous storm of the peksis energy Hibiki's Vanguard was holding against an object rippling with destructive energy with Jay's Wyvernn pushing against the Vanguard helping it stay level.

"I won't let you do it!" Hibiki grunted "In the end I have to say there are things I could've done better, but I finally get it Gramps. Even if my life ends here, I'll continue to live on in each and every one of their hearts. Isn't that right partner!" he asked his Vanguard.

Jay scoffed "I couldn't have said that better myself" he said while easily holding the controls of his Wyvernn steady. "If this is where we die, our memory, OUR LEGACY will live on with them. The two of us Hibiki, we're the ones that secured the future for everyone else".

Jay lowered his head with a happy smile as he thought about everyone that they left behind outside the shield "SO LET'S END THIS RIGHT HERE!"

"It doesn't have to be that way!" Dita cried just as her and Kira forced their way into the shield and began fighting their way through.

"Stay back, both of you!" Jay yelled at them.

"I'm not letting you do this alone!" Kira cried "We're all in this together".

"I know" Dita muttered "I finally understand now to. I am just silly and the rest of the world is so complicated. But when it's about you Mr. Alien I understand perfectly. Right now you're out there risking your life to protect everyone and that's why I'm going to protect you Mr. Alien…because I love you Mr. Alien! That's why I'll do anything to protect you Hibiki".

Hibiki released his controls and looked behind him yelling "Don't do it Dita!"

A blinding light erupted from the core of their struggle flying across the entire area as every trace of Dita's Dread, the Vanguard and both Wyvernns were completely lost.

Meia, Jura and Pyoro as well as Hedeki on the other side of the battle had tears forming in their eyes, they had just lost everything.

The NAVI-bot sitting in Jura's lap gasped and looked up.

Inside the core of the destructive energy Vandread Dita and the ArchAngel were hovering in front of the core, both of them shining in a new, brighter light than they ever had before.

"You idiots what's wrong with you!" Jay yelled at Kira and Dita.

Dita looked over her shoulder at Hibiki while she began tying the checkered cloth around his wrist and hers to keep their hands together "We're stronger when we're together than you could ever hope to be when you're alone. Don't you know that yet?"

"When did you become so hopeless?" Hibiki asked just as the Vandread and ArchAngel began holding the core open.

"Hibiki I just want to hear you say my name" Dita said "Come on just say it once for me".

Hibiki's face faulted "Oh come on now's not the time for that sort of thing".

Dita giggled and smiled "Oh come on just say it".

"Uh guys" Jura said "This is heartwarming and all, but can we get back to business?"

Both Jura and Meia's Dread were behind them slowly approaching against the powerful force of the core.

"We'll close the gate with one shot from Vandread Pyoro!" Pyoro yelled as they finally reached Dita and Hibiki.

On the Nirvana's bridge Aramone announced "Super Vandread has successfully entered the gate, both it and ArchAngel are holding up a shield now".

Captain Magno clenched at her chest and hunched over grunting quietly in pain.

Belvedere yelled "We're detecting a huge amount of special distortion dormant within the gate".

"It's putting all of them under intense pressure!" Celtic added.

Both the ArchAngel and the Super Vandread were struggling to keep their shields up, but the power of the special distortion was too powerful and managed to break through a part of their shields immediately destroying several harvest drones and Vandread copies as a small wave escaped into the battlefield.

"Dammit!" Jay roared "We're not going to lose here!"

Another bright light shined across the battlefield engulfing everything even to the furthest edge of the battlefield before quickly disappearing.

"What!...What was that!" BC yelled as all monitor screens on the bridge were turned to static.

"Systems are offline everything is failing!" Ezra cried.

"What's going on?" Aramone asked "Did the team make it?"

Finally power was restored to the Nirvana and the screen's static vanished showing a single mecha standing within a shield it wasn't the Super Vandread or the ArchAngel.

It had crystalline silver armor with purple joins between its shoulder and elbow joints as well as it knee to pelvic joints. Its shoulders had outward pointed armor and its four wings extended long past its arm reach.

"WHAT IS THAT!" Bart yelled from the helmsman portal.

Inside the new machine, Dita was sitting in Hibiki's lap in the center of a large room with Meia sitting behind them back to back and Jura down in the front row and with Jay and Kira sitting on both sides of Hibiki and Dita.

"This is…" Kira gasped "Amazing!"

"Let's end this!" Jay yelled as the new machine threw its arms and legs out standing firm against the destructive wave coming from the gate.

The energy wave that escaped the shield continued to fly across the battlefield destroying everything it passed by before hitting the Nirvana's shield.

"This isn't good" Gascogne muttered through clenched teeth.

"Captain!" Rebecca said "We need to pull back now".

Magno grunted "We're going to wait right here for those kids" the captain smiled "So they don't get lost on the way home".

The armor of the new machine began ripping apart as it stood against the wave of energy tearing at it, all of the pilots within it refusing to give even a single inch.

Pyoro's face went blank "Friends…" he muttered "Things to be cherished".

The peksis on the Nirvana erupted in a blinding light as the armor of the Nirvana's arms shattered and unleashed a barrage from its main weapons right at the gate.

Once the barrage from the Nirvana made contact with the gate everything erupted in a massive explosion leaving behind a swirling vortex of greenish light as the new machine was safely cradled within a crystal formed by the peksis and the enemy ship fleet completely destroyed.

"Did we do it?" Kira asked.

"What is this?" Dita asked quietly.

"The peksis" Pyoro answered.

"The peksis" Meia repeated "So it really is one of our friends".

"We've protected our future" Hibiki said "That means we won".

"Why so somber?" Jura asked "It's not like you".

Hibiki gasped and smiled "I've made enough snide comments for a while. You wont' be getting anymore from me" he said before Dita tried to pull her hand up, but forgot about Hibiki's dislocated shoulder.

After Hibiki yelled in pain, Meia smiled and looked over to Jay who was lying back in his seat with his eyes closed "Why so quiet?" she asked him "I'd have thought you of all people would be cheering about this".

Jay didn't answer; he just sat there completely motionless.

Meia's smile dropped "Jay?" she said just as everyone looked over to the white haired pilot as a small line of blood ran from the corner of his mouth and his arm slid down off of his console before dangling to a stop at his side.

Meia's eyes immediately widened with fear.

"Jay!" Kira yelled jumping from her console and running over to him as Meia sat there frozen.

"Jay! JAY!" Kira cried shaking him as everyone across the battlefield and on the three worlds watched on in a curtain of despair.

Jay still didn't answer not even as must of a twitch in his body; it was over…he was really gone.

Kira's eyes filled with tears as she dropped to her knees and began crying while Meia's entire world began falling around her.

Just as Kira and Meia began crying they heard a snickering sound and both of them looked at Jay as he began laughing.

Looking at Jay with fear filled eyes Kira sat there on her knees still frozen as Jay continued laughing before saying through his laughs "I can't believe you fell for that".

Once Jay said that, Kira quickly snapped herself back to reality and punched him in the shoulder as hard as she could.

"OW!" Jay yelled still chuckling a little.

"You're an ass!" Kira yelled at him before smiling with tears still in her eyes.

"Don't do that you idiot!" Hibiki yelled at him as Meia finally unfroze and smiled in a 'why am I surprised' kind of way before she turned to all of them "Are you guys ready?" she asked.

Across the entire battlefield light was raining down in small specks, it looked like it was snowing all around them.

Hours removed from the battle a shuttle docked at an asteroid that served as a port for Mejere and Magno and BC stepped off to the waiting crew of the Nirvana including Jay and Kira.

"Welcome back captain" Ezra said "So what did Grandpa and Grandma say?"

Magno closed her eyes and smiled "They've decided to open up communications between the two worlds, as well as Gelinkos".

"And we're to be right in the middle" BC said "They decided to have us and the Nirvana be the center of an experimental study to see if men and women really can live together".

"An experimental study?" Paiway asked.

Misty scoffed "You're asking for trouble. You can't force things between men and women it just doesn't work that way".

"Hibiki, Bart and Duelo are going to get things started" BC told them "Jay and Kira will also be joining in on behalf of their world"

"I love being volunteered for something against my will" Jay yelled sarcastically"

BC smiled "Hibiki and the others will be leaving for Tarak to find suitable men to try out living together with women".

"You can count me in" Bart said pounding his fist against his chest.

"So when do we leave?" Duelo asked.

"As soon as possible would be best" BC replied.

"You're kidding!" Dita cried.

Gascogne leaned over her shoulder "What're you crying about it's not like you're never going to see him again".

"But I haven't had the chance to make Mr. Alien fulfill his promise yet" Dita argued.

"What promise?" Misty asked.

Parfet answered "He promised to go and visit Dita's room".

Misty blushed brightly before hiding her face "Oh I've got such ideas in my head now".

Magno sighed and looked away "How did a pirate ship go to being a government sanctioned daycare center?"

BC giggled at her captain's words.

Once the shuttle for Hibiki, Bart and Duelo was ready everyone gathered to say goodbye including Pyoro who Hibiki quickly grabbed a hold of and bowled up the ramp into the shuttle.

"Oh doctor" Parfet called catching Duelo's attention.

Duelo looked at the head engineer who had told him "Make sure you hurry back now. You know how selfish your patients are around here".

"I'll make sure I do that" Duelo chuckled before Paiway held her frog puppet up between them.

"Make sure you do ribbit".

"Pai what are you doing?" Parfet asked the young nurse.

Paiway stood up and growled through a closed mouth "Oh I just can't take it anymore!" she yelled throwing her hand out and knocking aside Duelo's hair to reveal his entire face making Parfet almost faint.

"Happy now?" Duelo asked her before turning around just as Jura stepped in front of Hibiki with Barnette behind her.

"What now?" Hibiki asked her.

"These men that you're going to be choosing" Jura told him "I will be interviewing them before we make any decisions. Dirty guys and ugly guys are out of the question. And make sure you call in and update every morning and evening" she finished just as her voice began breaking.

"And don't forget" she said now in a crying voice "Every day ok?"

Looking up Hibiki and Bart were surprised to see tears in her eyes as she continued "If you forget…even once" she said through tears before running toward them "I'll never forgive you" she cried just as Hibiki ducked and Jura grabbed Bart and Duelo.

"Sure" Duelo said a little at loss for words.

"Don't be fooled" Barnette told them "She just wants to find someone to have a baby with".

"Figures" Hibiki said just as Meia and Jay stepped over to them.

"Hibiki" the blue haired pilot said before holding her hand out "I'm glad I got the chance to meet you. Thanks for everything".

Hibiki was surprised at first, but shook her hand "Me to" he said before looking over to Jay.

"We'll be seeing you again sometime right? Don't forget about us now" he said saluting him and then holding his hand out as well to shake Hibiki's.

"All right no more being shy" Misty said pulling Dita behind her and forcing her way through Jura and Bart over to Hibiki. "Hibiki, Dita has a favor she'd like to ask you".

"A favor?" Hibiki repeated.

"Go on stop beating around the bush" Misty told the red haired pilot nudging her with her elbow.

"I just…want to hear you say my name one more time that's all" she said "This time I want to hear it".

Hibiki's face reddened as everyone looked over to him "You've got to be kidding" he muttered before Misty tried persuading him.

"Come on do it" she said.

Hibiki quickly snapped "You've got to be the biggest idiot in the universe, there's no way I can do that sort of thing without a reason!" Turning his head Hibiki grunted "It's going to be really busy from here on out and so…well I uh…" Hibiki completely lost what he was going to say and began stuttering before rubbing the back of his head "Dammit".

"Hibiki!" BC called from the shuttle "What are you waiting for? The departure's already behind schedule".

Hibiki lowered his head "I guess that's it" he muttered sadly.

Hibiki turned to walk away following Duelo and Bart up the ramp and stopped once he entered the shuttle's doorway and the ramp started withdrawing.

Once the ramp started pulling away Jay held up his hand and began counting down from 5, once his last finger folded in Hibiki blurted out "Dita!"

Turning around Dita stared up at Hibiki as he held out his good hand "Come on let's get going" he said to her.

Smiling Dita cheered as she rushed up the ramp to him and then jumped at last second grabbing Hibiki's hand just before the shuttle took off.

Watching the shuttle leave Jay closed his eyes and smiled with a grunt trying to act cool, but he had a small stream of tears running down his left eye "Never end" he muttered before Meia walked over to him.

"Don't forget" she said catching his attention "You've still got a promise to fulfill to me as well" she told him.

Jay grunted again "Right then" he said pushing himself off the railing and holding out his hand for her "Let's not wait any longer".

Taking his hand Meia gave him a loving smile as he led her back to his Wyvernn with Kira not too far behind them.

The following week Hibiki, Duelo, Bart, BC and Dita had returned with a small group of guys from Tarak, the men and women from Mejere were all having a hard time talking to one another they were all really nervous about being around the ones they used to think as enemies.

Seeing the nervous expressions on everyone Jay went to find Hideki and Kira "Wait here for me Meia he said before running off.

An hour later speakers and monitors around the station turned on playing a techno sounding keyboard as shadowed figures appeared on a small stage engulfed in pyrotechnics that spewed from both sides.

A guitar rift began just as the pyrotechnics stopped accompanied by the same keyboard sounds in rapid succession.

The person in the center of the group held a microphone up to his mouth and yelled

"Whoa whoa!"

Jay was at the head of the group with Hideki on his right and Kira to his left along with both Eric Flynn and Elliot Kavai from the Emerald's Edge. Flynn was sitting at an electronic keyboard while Kavai was sitting at a drum set. Kira was holding a base guitar while Hideki was performing the lead sounds on his own guitar.

This ain't a song for the broken-hearted  
No silent prayer for the faith-departed  
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd  
you're gonna hear my voice  
When I shout it out loud

It's my life  
It's now or never  
I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive

The entire band yelled "ITS MY LIFE"

My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just wanna live while I'm alive  
It's my life

Around the station thousands of people began gathering in the hangar where the band was playing including the crew from the Nirvana.

This is for the ones who stood their ground  
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down  
Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake  
Luck ain't even lucky  
Got to make your own breaks

It's my life  
And it's now or never  
I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive

"IT'S MY LIFE"

My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just want to live while I'm alive  
'Cause it's my life

Looking down at all of the people gathered around them Jay held out his hand and pointed at them as he continued singing

Better stand tall when they're calling you out  
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down

It's my life  
And it's now or never  
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive

"IT'S MY LIFE"

My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just want to live while I'm alive

It's my life  
And it's now or never  
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever  
I just want to live while I'm alive

"IT'S MY LIFE"

My heart is like an open highway  
Like Frankie said  
I did it my way  
I just want to live while I'm alive

"CAUSE IT'S MY LIFE!"

Looking down Jay saw Meia standing right in front of him and held out his hand to help her up onto the small stage they built and threw his arms around her, both of them holding each other not wanting to let go.

* * *

**A/N.** And so it ends. The final chapter. Well almost. There's still one more to go.

The song I used is a long time favorite of mine Bon Jovi's It's My Life.

And as for the spirits that continued to appear around Jay here's a list of them in order.

Spartacus, a gladiator that revolted against the Roman army.

Charlemagne, a knight and king who revolutionized Europe.

Joan of Arc, a female French knight who led an army at the age of 19 against the English to free her homeland.

William Wallace, a Scottish knight who led many warriors in the Scottish Wars for Independence.

George Washington, the first president of the United States and General of the American army in the American Revolutionary War.

Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States and leader of the Rough Riders during the Spanish-American war.

I choose these figures in history because of what they stood for. Whether good or bad they were all important figures in history and help to shape the world into what it is today.


	22. Trust

Three years ago, the final battle had ended. The allied fleet led by the Nirvana was victorious against the Harvest and the evil heart of the red peksis was destroyed.

All that was left was to mop up the remaining Harvesters that were not part of the battle.

Several joint squadrons from all worlds affected by the harvest, including Melanos, Tarak, Mejere and Gelinkos were scouring the galaxy in search of the remaining Harvest fleets to wipe them out.

_Even if those arms of yours  
Were be bound in chains  
Even if someday this sky  
Were to burn up completely  
You must believe in hope_

Two months after the final battle ended, Kira and Hideki finally married and another two months afterward Kira had given birth to a baby girl who they named Akemi.

_In the shadow of a shining planet  
There is a world governed by darkness  
You only have one life;  
Keep it trapped there, you'll be a lonely boy_

On Gelinkos a Harvest fleet had attack Jay's home city, but Jay and Kira were ready and led a 7 fighter squadron against the enemy easily shooting down each of them.

In a hospital room on the ground Meia was lying in a bed grunting in pain while she watched Jay and Kira fight against the enemy from a monitor hanging from the wall with several doctors and nurses on both sides of her bed.

_Because surely there is a reason  
That we happened to meet here ah-ah ah-ah_

Barnette from a desk in the hospital contacted Jay and Kira using a radio "Jay!" she cried "What's taking so long there's not much time".

_Even if you are about to be  
Crushed from the sadness,  
If this chest of mine  
Can become the strength to catch you  
Tomorrow surely We can survive_

"We won't be that much longer" Jay said "We'll be done in less than two minutes".

"Jay" Kira said "I'll take the team and take out the ones on the right".

"Roger that" Jay confirmed "I'll take care of the rest then".

"Right then" Kira said before ordering the squadron to follow her and engage the enemy.

Attacking the enemy from both sides Jay's squadron immediately began chipping away at their numbers dwindling them from 80% down to 40 in under a minute before Barnette called them again.

"Jay there's not much time get down here!" Barnette yelled.

Jay was about to say something, but Kira cut him off "Go ahead Jay" she said "We can handle the rest from here. You should be there when it's over after all".

Jay smiled "Yeah you're right. I leave it to you then Kira" he said before flying off away from the battle and toward the hospital where Meia and Barnette were.

_Overcome broken time  
If there is truth in living  
Hide your unreaching thoughts,  
Keep hugging your knees, you'll be a lonely girl_

Approaching the hospital Jay quickly lowered the speed of his Wyvernn and successfully landed on the roof of the hospital, immediately opening the canopy and jumping out rushing for the roof access door.

Grabbing the handle Jay ripped open the door and sprinted down the stairs from floor 6 to floor 3 where Meia was.

_We will surely reach it too  
That distant UTOPIA_

Bolting through the doorway Jay rushed down the hall yelling at the various nurses and doctors to get out of the way as he ran down the hall and past the main desk where Barnette was.

Finally at Meia's room, Jay threw the door open and ran in quickly kneeling at Meia's bedside grabbing her hand "I'm here Meia" he said calmly even though he was out of breath.

"Jay" Meia smiled weakly.

Two hours later, the sun had set and the battle was long over.

Kira and Hideki with their daughter Akemi as well as Barnette, Jura, Hibiki, Dita, Magno and BC as well as many others from the Nirvana had gathered in the lobby of the hospital waiting in silence for the news they hoped was coming.

Two doctors walked out from the double doorway and held the doors open as Jay walked out with Meia next to him in a wheelchair. Looking around Jay said aloud "Ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to introduce you to Suzume and Michael Masterson" he said holding a baby girl wrapped in a pink towel while Meia was holding a baby boy wrapped in a blue towel.

"I'm a daddy" he said happily.

_Even if those arms of yours  
Were be bound in chains  
Even if someday this sky  
Were to burn up completely  
You must believe in hope_

Kira quickly ran over to Jay and gently hugged him from the side just as Dita, Jura and Barnette crowded around Meia all of them congratulating both of them on their children.

Ten years after, Jay and Meia along with Hibiki and Dita, Kira and Hideki, BC and the entire crew of the Nirvana had attended the funeral of Magno Vivan a surrogate mother figure to all of them.

Even though the captain had passed on everyone knew that she would never truly die, she would live on inside each of them and they would make sure she continued to live by telling their children the stories of her.

Jay had retired from his life in the Air Force and taken on a quiet life with Meia in his old home on Gelinkos which was rebuilt after the first Harvester raid on his country.

Kira and Hideki had also settled down each of them living in a new house built next to Jay and Meia so they could always keep an eye on each other.

No matter what, they would always be there for each other, they would always be family. To the very end.

_Even if you are about to be  
Crushed from the sadness,  
If this chest of mine  
Can become the strength to catch you  
Tomorrow surely We can survive_

* * *

**A/N.** And there it is. The final chapter and end to Shattered Space. I didn't want it to end, but there it is. I named this chapter Trust after the theme song for Stage 1 of Vandread since its my favorite anime theme of all time and the ending theme to the final episode.

I really enjoyed writing every bit of this and even though I'm sad to see it end at long last I know I've been happy the whole way through.

As I've always said, I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed writing it. With that I officially close the curtain on Vandread: Shattered Space.


End file.
